Traditional teeth care

[torjusg]

The thread about the drilling of teeth in stone age Pakistan, made me think of tradtional teeth care. A much ignored subject in bushcraft, but deemed neccesary as blood poisening and death may be the result of a untreated toothace.

I know there are som branches used as teeth-brushes in the far east, any substitutes for these in Northern Europe?

Some survival books recommend using wood-ash (caustic) or spruce gum (anti-bacterial) as a substitute for tooth-paste.

The Maya decendants always put a little limestone(?) in their sauses and soups for additional calcium and nearly avoids cavities because of that.

Edit: Forgot to mention that sinew makes an excellent substitute for dental floss.

Anyone have tested or know anything about this?

Torjus Gaaren

 

[Ed]

I know there are som branches used as teeth-brushes in the far east, any substitutes for these in Northern Europe.

Use Alder as it has an anti microbial in its sap which will help fight bacteria in your mouth


Ed

 

[bambodoggy]

I believe you can chew the end of a hazel stick and it will then go fuzzy and can be used like a toothbrush....I tend to carry my own so I haven't tried this! lol

 

[Fenlander]

Use Alder as it has an anti microbial in its sap which will help fight bacteria in your mouth


Ed

That's exactly what I'm demonstrating here

The first nations people of Canada also used the bristly core of Reed Mace seed heads (left when all the seeds are removed).

 

[gunnix]

Well, maybe you want to read Dr. Weston Price's book "Nutrition and Physical Degeneration". He was a dentist who went to visit many (which he considered) primitive communities all over the world. He found that most of them were extremely healthy and had no tooth decay even if they never used a toothbrush in their entire life (nor did they seem to do anything similar to brushing teeth).

http://www.mercola.com/2001/jan/21/weston_price.htm

http://www.price-pottenger.org/

 

[CLEM]

Well, maybe you want to read Dr. Weston Price's book "Nutrition and Physical Degeneration". He was a dentist who went to visit many (which he considered) primitive communities all over the world. He found that most of them were extremely healthy and had no tooth decay even if they never used a toothbrush in their entire life (nor did they seem to do anything similar to brushing teeth).

http://www.mercola.com/2001/jan/21/weston_price.htm

http://www.price-pottenger.org/

Very interesting,thanks for posting that link.

 

[pierre girard]

This is the second time I've tried to post. Kept getting a "forbidden to post" response yesterday. See if it works this time.

I've used wood ash for "toothpaste" and a piece of hazel to make a "brush." To make the brush, take a piece of green hazel between 1/4" and 3/8", strip the bark, and hammer about an inch and a quarter with the poll end of your axe. It will splinter and make a brush of sorts. Works well enough.

PG

 

[wolf]

ive heard sage works well to clean and deodorise...

 

[Naruska]

Some survival books recommend using wood-ash (caustic) or spruce gum (anti-bacterial) as a substitute for tooth-paste.

Spruce gum (or pine resin) makes quite an interesting chewing gum...Although it may be an aquired taste.

Initially, the taste and texture may be far from pleasant, but by carefully chewing on it (in a contemplative fashion...) it turns into a more solid entity. The taste being quite allright, in fact... If you stop early enough, the end product resembles amber!

 

[torjusg]

Spruce gum (or pine resin) makes quite an interesting chewing gum...Although it may be an aquired taste.

Initially, the taste and texture may be far from pleasant, but by carefully chewing on it (in a contemplative fashion...) it turns into a more solid entity. The taste being quite allright, in fact... If you stop early enough, the end product resembles amber!

The worst thing is that the taste lingers on virtually forever. I have ruined quite a few otherwise tasty meals for myself by chewing spruce gum.

Torjus Gaaren

 

[Naruska]

A bit like greek retsina wine?

A friend of mine once "invented" how to make cheap retsina... smear your thumb with resin...stick it under your nose...and take a swig of the cheapo white wine that you have in your backpack... et voila!

 

[singteck]

This reminds me of the good old "tooth brush" in Malaysia.

Chewing on sugarcane. Cleans the teeth and taste great too.

Never seen any here however.

singteck

 

[Toddy]

Put a little bit of salt in a sage leaf and roll it up tightly. Now crush it between two clean stones into a green paste. Wet your finger and use the green paste to rub over your teeth. Close your mouth and then force the salty/sagey salive between your teeth, then gargle and spit out. Rinse and repeat. Rinse to get rid of green bits, which if you've ground it up properly, shouldn't be a problem anyway.
The sage and salt kills off buggits and cleans your mouth without scouring your teeth and gums to bits.
Fennel or mint works too but the sage seems to kill more of the bacteria that cause furry tongues and bad breath.
If you have an infection in your gums, grind up a couple of cloves with the salt and do the same as before.
If you have ulcers, try chamomile tea, or chew liquorice roots (watch this, it's fine for most folk but some are sensitive to the vaso dilator properties)
Myrrh can be dissolved in alcohol and the tincture used to clean the mouth, but it's an acquired taste.....but then, so are cloves
Alder makes a good toothbrush, but if your mouth is sore try to find some goat willow and try that.

Having said all of this, if your mouth needs attention...Go and see the Dentist!


Cheers,
Toddy

 

[Freds Dad]

The chewed hazel tooth stick is mentioed in Baden Powell's Scouting for Boys.I got one of my troop to use it on a summers camps a couple of years back as he'd forgotten his tooth brush. he said it worked fine. I like the alder stick version. i'll try it out.

 

[jerv]

oetzi didn't have cavities. it's interesting that primitive people seem to be free of dental problems. They have worn teeth sure. anyone got any idea when real dental problems started to occur and what (presumably dietry only) changes had caused the change.
I never ever used to clean my teeth when i was in the hills then i started chewing on birch twigs. Nowadays i carry a toothbrush i just realised that they aren't that heavy.

 

[Ahjno]

That's exactly what I'm demonstrating here

The first nations people of Canada also used the bristly core of Reed Mace seed heads (left when all the seeds are removed).

I've never ever seen a bunch of grown ups paying so much attention to a bloke cleaning his teeth

Like Jerv I carry a toothbrush - I think it's a good habit especially since I've never had problems with my teeth (it's all in mint condition and I like to keep it that way ), though I really like the tips given here :notworthy

As for other things: you can use strawberry roots IIRC

 

[maddave]

I've never ever seen a bunch of grown ups paying so much attention to a bloke cleaning his teeth

Like Jerv I carry a toothbrush - I think it's a good habit especially since I've never had problems with my teeth (it's all in mint condition and I like to keep it that way ), though I really like the tips given here :notworthy

As for other things: you can use strawberry roots IIRC

Yup

The Strawberry is a useful dentifrice and cosmetic. The fresh fruit removes discoloration of the teeth if the juice is allowed toremain on for about five minutes and the teeth are then cleansed with warm water, to which a pinch of bicarbonate of soda has been added. A cut Strawberry rubbed over the face immediately after washing will whiten the skin and remove slight sunburn. For a badly sunburnt face it is recommended to rub the juice well into the skin, to leave it on for half an hour, and then wash off with warm water to which a few drops of simple tincture of benzoin have been added; no soap should be used.

 

[RAPPLEBY2000]

at the first bushmoot, i can't remember his name but the plant expert mentioned using..erm.. was it pine or fir needles? as a tooth cleaner, good as it also has Vit C.

so what sort of cordadge do you use to tie down the patient for drilling?
i have this weird image of someone bowdrilling in someones mouth!


does anyone use mint?
or chalk?

seems sensible.

i quite often use birch as a toothpick, no real reason just lots of it and non toxic!

i think the general concensis about lack of bad teeth in pre history is due to lack of sugar and other acidic treats.

i remember a documetary showing ancien egyptions haveing worn down teeth because there was always sand from the air in thier food.

 

[Stuart]

at the first bushmoot, i can't remember his name but the plant expert mentioned using..erm.. was it pine or fir needles? as a tooth cleaner, good as it also has Vit C.

I don’t think you are referring to me as I certainly could not be described as a plant expert, but I remember mentioning in your presence at the first moot that I use buckthorn berries as a mouthwash. which I believe has high concentrations of vitamin C

they leave you mouth feeling clean and fresh and the taste certainly wakes you up :Wow: (very sour) if you eat more than a handful of them it can give you stomach ache though

 

[benmatthews90]

i think i read somewhere that before the outside world came to the inuit peoples they (the inuits that is) had never had a dental problems because their diet contained no simple carbohydrates which cause mouth rotting to occour
but yeah use hazel chewed up a bit iv heard of it many times before being used