Land made toothbrush and paste Anyone?

[grizzlyadam]

I was getting to thinking of what I'm gonna do so my teeth don't rot out, out in the wild. Anyone know of a way to maintain oral hygene out there from nothing?

Funny story too I looked it up at one point, and a writer for one of those womens magazines was giving advice on the topic. She was saying that lemons are great, and got down to a science about how it works and everything. Here I am thinking about being in the woods in the middle of winter in Canada, going to this nice ripe lemon tree with a beam of sunshine cutting right through the clouds with butterflys and grasshoppers all over the place. ROFL!

[Renatus]

deleted....

[natertot]

I don't brush my teeth so I am not really sure. Just Kidding!!!! For a substitute, I would use a cloth wrapped around my finger with a tid bit of baking soda or you can also use a bit of hydrogen peroxide. If it was an armageddon type of TEOTWAWKI and nothing was available, I would use water mixed with a powder sand. Besides, how much sugar would you actually intake?

[pete lynch]

Sassafras or birch twig chewed until the end is brush-like. Then brush.

[your_comforting_company]

Willow, Prickly Ash, Birch.. There are several trees that have twigs that are very astringent and antibacterial. I just asked my grandma and she can't remember what her mother used (she was young when her mother died) but she described a "bush that looks like a tree, not very tall", which makes me think sassafras, but I can't be sure.

[Rick]

As I indicated in the link above I carry my toothbrush with me. Barring that, I go with Pete's method.

[hunter63]

I'm with YCC, and actually do this pretty regular with willow....need to be careful you can actually get sick for aspirin poisoning if chewed too long.

[Seniorman]

Why not just carry a toothbrush and roll of dental floss in a Ziplok bag in your pack or pocket??

Neither weighs enough to even notice. I've carried the same for many, many years and never had a bit of problem.

S.M.

[kyratshooter]

Why not just carry a toothbrush and roll of dental floss in a Ziplok bag in your pack or pocket??

Neither weighs enough to even notice. I've carried the same for many, many years and never had a bit of problem.

S.M.

Depends on whether you are surviving or camping. Again, we strike the issue of confusing camping, woodcraft, survival and running away to live in the woods.

If you are camping take the TB and a big tube of Colgate and invite the cute little oral higentist along.

If you are in a survival situation and not related to Allen Harper of 2 1/2 men or Felix Unger from the Odd Couple chances are you do not have toothbrush and floss in your pocket.

If you are engaging in a wilderness survival situation, and you have done everything properly, it is hopeful that you will be rescued before your teeth fall out.

As a side note, not a single one of my grandparents had a tooth in their heads by the time they were 40. Losing all your teeth shortly after adulthood was an expected part of life in preindustrial society, and still is. It goes right along with the 30-50 year life expectancy with many deaths due to dental related issues: absesses, blood posioning, reumitism and heart disease.

All the willow sticks and tree bark in the world will not preserve your teeth or we would not see all the dental problems in human remains from the ancient world, right back to those stone age people that "knew all the herbal remidies".

Carrying your teeth to the grave is a new concept and atributable to the chemicals placed in our water supply. While we gripe about the government poisioning us we still expect "pearly whites" until age 90.

[Rick]

Here I go again......mankind has had dental decay forever of course but mostly attributed to malnourishment. The introduction of grains in the diet increased the frequency of sugar consumed. Bacteria in the mouth feeds on the sugar and creates an acid that erodes enamel. So, it's the sugar combined with the bacteria that causes tooth decay with the exception of those that lived in a malnourished condition, which caused the gums to pull away from the teeth, which caused periodontal disease and decay. Even our buddy Oetzi had signs of tooth decay because he was a grain fed man and chronically malnourished.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dental_caries (see the History section)

In some eastern cultures, predominantly Japan, they practiced a form of Ohaguro or painting the teeth black because it prevented tooth decay. It acted like a form of dental sealant.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohaguro

And remember that ancient peoples didn't necessarily understand the cause and effect relationship of dental decay. We should also be concerned because periodontal disease can allow bacteria in the mouth to pass the gum/tooth barrier and find it's way into the blood stream where it can contribute to coronary artery and heart disease.

"Several recent clinical studies suggest oral disease and inflammation (oral bacteria & oral infections) may be a potential risk factor for serious systemic diseases, such as:



Cardiovascular Disease (Heart attack and Stroke)
Bacterial Pneumonia
Low Birth Weight/Extreme High Birth Weight
Diabetes complications
Osteoporosis"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oral_hygiene

Have you had a heart attack? Maybe it had something to do with your dental hygiene. Who knows?

Anything you do to help rid the mouth of sugar and bacteria is going to reap rewards in the dental department whether it is a toothbrush or willow twig. You won't find my teeth being pulled and if it has to happen it will be replaced by an implant.

[Willie]

I was watching a Dave Canterbury video when he brought up a good point. If you try using any sort of homemade job in the bush, you take a chance on getting a splinter or whatever and may lead to infection. I couldnt imagine getting something stuck in my gums, it would drive me cRAzY! Just carry a tooth brush with baking soda or tooth paste.


Willie

[grizzlyadam]

So I need to find a way to make a fluoride toothpaste out of nothing and use a willow branch. And I now also know that if someone curses me by saying "break a leg" when I depart, and I do, to chew on lots of willow branches before I re-set my leg. And hopefully if it happens, it happens at a time where I had already found time to make a good strong home brew.

[Rick]

That'll work.

[kyratshooter]

Anything you do to help rid the mouth of sugar and bacteria is going to reap rewards in the dental department whether it is a toothbrush or willow twig. You won't find my teeth being pulled and if it has to happen it will be replaced by an implant.

Again, we are mixing the discussion of survival behaviors with daily life in modern America. The discussion has turned into what you would take with you on a camping trip, not what you carry daily to help you stay alive through a crunch time.

Who is going to do the oral surgery and place those implants in a survival situation?

[Kortoso]

My dentist said that if she was going to be stranded on a desert island with a choice of either a toothbrush, dental floss or a toothpick, she'd choose the toothpick. Funny, huh?

Starting from there (carved from a bit of bone of course), then brush teeth with your finger and some salt, gargle and you're done!

Most of the modern stuff, chemicals, plastic tools, have been sold to us by a large industry.

However, I understand that some plants, such as taro, are high in calcium fluoride. Is that true?

[Rick]

There was a comment that willow sticks would not affect any benefit. Point of fact is they would. Re: the quote.

My comment about dental implants had nothing to do with survival or camping. I would hope teeth pulling would have nothing to do with either as well.

As to getting splinters from willow, if you are following good dental hygiene including regular flossing then the gums are tight against the tooth. It would be unlikely, not impossible, that a willow chewed to a soft texture would force a splinter between the gum and tooth.

[mouse111111]

Dogwood twigs have whitenning properties.