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How the rest of the world brushes their teeth
How is it that some people who have never used a toothbrush have also never had a cavity?
Tue, Aug 21 2012 at 6:40 PM
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Muslim and African cultures clean their teeth with a stick called miswak, which naturally has a high concentration of cavity-fighting fluoride. (Photo: Zurijeta/Shutterstock)
There’s a 99 percent chance you are not super rich. But there is a good chance that you are part of the orally hygienic elite 1 percent.
While it’s common in the U.S. and other developed countries to use nylon and electronic toothbrushes, most of the world’s population, especially indigenous cultures and developing countries, still use old-world techniques to keep their teeth clean — if they use anything at all.
But are modern oral hygiene products and techniques infinitely better than the sticks, animal bristles and bones, twigs, feathers and porcupine quills that non-first-world societies used centuries ago — or continue to use today — to clean their teeth?
Is what one eats more important in determining oral hygiene than the materials used to clean the teeth and gums?
In other words, if tribes, clans and indigenous societies stick with their traditional diets and don’t eat processed sugar and junk food, is teeth-brushing even necessary?
Lack of oral hygiene can lead to heart disease, maybe
A 2010 study published in the British Medical Journal concluded that people who brushed less than twice a day had an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, due to inflammation and loss of connective tissue and bone support of the teeth. In the BMJ study, people who brushed their teeth less than twice a day, habitually, had a 70 percent higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The study, however, did not consider the participants’ diets.
A 2010 study published in the British Medical Journal concluded that people who brushed less than twice a day had an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, due to inflammation and loss of connective tissue and bone support of the teeth. In the BMJ study, people who brushed their teeth less than twice a day, habitually, had a 70 percent higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The study, however, did not consider the participants’ diets.
But Sally Fallon, president of the Weston A. Price Foundation, a nonprofit nutrition education foundation, tells Mother Nature Network that in traditional societies that have no access to Western foods with processed sugars and white flour, many of these indigenous people have no cavities, and flash smiles with perfect pearly white teeth, even though tooth brushing is rare, (or was rare, depending on the society).
“Within a very short time of forgoing their traditional, native diets, though, cavities become evident,” says Fallon, adding that the next generation of natives who eat processed food will begin to develop crooked teeth.
Fallon points to the research pioneered by the foundation’s namesake, Dr. Weston Price, an Ohio dentist, referred to in some circles as the "Charles Darwin of nutrition." The late Price, in the 1930s, traveled the world as a sort of a cultural dental anthropologist. His book, "Nutrition and Physical Degeneration," features many photos of the teeth of various native societies, from isolated villagers in the Swiss Alps, to the Maori of New Zealand, to the coldwater fishermen of Scotland’s Hebrides islands.
Vitamin K to the rescue
Price discovered a substance he termed "Activator X" that all the natives with healthy teeth had in their saliva. Price didn’t know exactly what Activator X was, but shortly after his studies, science classified the cavity combating compound as vitamin K. A study published in the Journal of Dental Research states that in 1942, it was proven that vitamin K prevented the formation of acid buildup, which is a major cause of cavities.
Price discovered a substance he termed "Activator X" that all the natives with healthy teeth had in their saliva. Price didn’t know exactly what Activator X was, but shortly after his studies, science classified the cavity combating compound as vitamin K. A study published in the Journal of Dental Research states that in 1942, it was proven that vitamin K prevented the formation of acid buildup, which is a major cause of cavities.
Some of the foods that are high in vitamin K that Price observed traditional societies consuming were:
- Chicken or goose liver
- Fermented foods like sauerkraut
- Grass-fed animal fat
- Grass-fed, raw butter
- Egg yolks
So should you run to your nearest health food store and swallow a pill of vitamin K and not worry so much about brushing your teeth twice a day? And perhaps buy some goose liver?
“There’s nothing wrong with brushing twice per day. We are genetic mongrels in America. None of us has a perfect diet, so I would definitely recommend brushing your teeth,” Fallon says.
It’s not just junk food that causes cavities
Dr. Jacquie Fulop Goodling, a Manhattan-based orthodontist who has traveled the world educating people about oral health, addresses a common misconception that modern-day processed foods alone contribute to dental caries.
Dr. Jacquie Fulop Goodling, a Manhattan-based orthodontist who has traveled the world educating people about oral health, addresses a common misconception that modern-day processed foods alone contribute to dental caries.
“Diet plays an important role but even natural carbohydrates like bread, rice and pasta — the staple in many diets — break down into simple sugars, which can cause decay. Also, there are many factors contributing to periodontal disease and diet is only one of those factors,” Goodling says.
Some societies that don’t use toothbrushes
“In many regions of the world, people are cleaning their teeth with twigs, most often from oak and neem trees,” says Dr. Steven Goldberg, a Boca Raton, Fla., general and cosmetic dentist and inventor of a modern oral care product, DentalVibe.
“They break a twig in half, splay and soften the broken end and then rub it on their teeth, in effect, wiping the surface of their teeth clean,” Goldberg adds.
Arab Bedouin tribes still clean their teeth by using the twigs of the arak tree, which contains antiseptic properties. Other Muslim and African cultures use a similar stick, called miswak, which naturally has a high concentration of cavity-fighting fluoride.
A paper posted on the National Academy of Dentistry’s website says that Hindu Brahmins and priests clean their teeth using cherry wood for an hour, facing the rising sun. Another religious group in India, Jains, cleans their teeth using fingers and without using a brush.
In other rural areas of India, people use twigs from mango, cashew or coconut trees.
What some cultures use for toothpaste
Some folk in rural India, Africa, Southeast Asia and South America use brick, charcoal, rangoli powder, mud, salt or ash for cleaning the teeth. This may result in gingival recession, abrasion and dentin sensitivity, says the National Academy of Dentistry.
Some folk in rural India, Africa, Southeast Asia and South America use brick, charcoal, rangoli powder, mud, salt or ash for cleaning the teeth. This may result in gingival recession, abrasion and dentin sensitivity, says the National Academy of Dentistry.
Should Americans ditch their toothbrushes and clean with sticks instead?
The inconvenient truth about going to the dentist at least twice a year and replacing your toothbrush is that all the discarded toothbrushes and toothpaste containers end up in the landfill. But it seems that Americans are in no rush to clean their teeth with twigs. Toothpaste, whiteners, sugarless gum, mouthwash, manual or electric toothbrushes, floss, and other oral care items retailed at $9.1 billion in 2008, according to the U.S. Market for Oral Care Products, 7th Edition.
Whether or not you choose to go native and clean your teeth with a tree twig, “Oral hygiene can be a very important component to our overall health. The mouth is full of bacteria and not caring for it can cause inflammation. The gums can become unhealthy if proper dental hygiene is neglected and this can create low-grade infection that can cause inflammation and other problems throughout the body,” says Rebecca Crowley-Huey, physician assistant at BodyLogicMD of Houston, who adds, “Brain fog, autoimmune disease, gut infection or imbalance, and fatigue can be some of the problems caused by inflammation and your mouth is sometimes your first line of defense against foreign material.”
Two times a day is much better than only one time per day, says Steve Krendl, a dentist at Hopewell Dental in Heath, Ohio. “A thin film of organic matter, called a biofilm, forms quickly on our teeth throughout a day. Left undisturbed, this turns into plaque, which can harden within 24 hours.”
Now that’s something to chew on.
Do you brush twice per day — and floss? Let us know below.
Judd Handler is a health writer in Encinitas, Calif. He can be reached via email at CoachJudd@gmail.com.
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Prophet Mohammed told that: Unless i would make it too difficult to my nation, I would have Asked them to prush thier teeth by Miswak before each ritual Prayer.
( the Islamic Ritual Prayer which are five times a day)
my dad used toothbrushes or pastes very less but preferred 1, ash from burnt walnut shell in morning and 2 after every time more so after night meals with common salt by use of fingures. He did not have any tooth problem up to age of 75, and only later in 10 years due to aging his teeth started becoming brittle.
Another thing, the article mentions Vitamin K. Which form of K? Is it Vitamin K2 or K1? if it is K2 then which form of K2? I would love to know.
Hi, this article fails to mention oil pulling. I try to do oil pulling daily, i manage at least 5 minutes with about 1 tablespoon of sesame oil. I pretty often go the full 20 minutes. It has really whitened my teeth, and I notice that when i do pulling, i feel slightly better the rest of the day. which for me is a significant accomplishment.
"Whether or not you choose to go native and clean your teeth with a tree twig.."
'going native' is a racist thing to say. would think mother nature would be more sensitive to that sort of thing.
Mother Nature? I am offended by the lack of gender neutrality. ;)
So who are the 99% that uses sticks and twigs. That numbers is insane. It's called sensationalism.
I haven't brushed or flossed regularly for years, just when i feel i need to. But i visit the dentist twice a year and he always says he doesn't see any signs of decay. But i did get myocarditus a few years ago, which is an infection resulting in inflamation of the heart. I don't remember if it was a doctor or not, but someone suggested that the infection occured due to bacteria on my teeth entering my bloodstream during a tooth cleaning at the dentist
Fluoride offers no benefits at all, and causes cancer. Europeans know this, which is why it's not in their tap water. It is a TOXIN - why else would there be warnings on toothpaste if you swallow it?
Does your water contain chlorine? It is also toxic if swallowed in certain concentrations. Fluoridated water is proven is studies to help oral health. It only becomes a negative factor when one uses too many different fluoridated substances in a day. BALANCE is key for survival in ALL aspects of life :)
Brush only few time per yaer and dentist cleaning few times yaer didn't get cavities until start brushing more often which is why am on this website
Didn't brush often no cavities and teeth lookd like brush
Brush more then cavitys appear after
Over 1400 yrs ago, Prophet Muhammad taught how to use the Miswak .It has fluoride ,it keeps the gum healthy, and it get rids of bad breath.
Crest toothpaste twice a day, no cavities since 1972 (only two before that). My 14 year old has had only one cavity.My spouse has had only one cavity in the 22 years that I've known him.
You lost me at "The Weston Price Foundation". If they're a "nutrition education group", then so is the American Dairy Association.
Obviously you haven't done any serious research on this organization and believe all the propaganda that you see on tv & magazines. This foundation can back up everything they say with numerous studies, and will happily give you the links to said studies. Try thinking before posting..thanks.
walnut tree twigs are the best for brushing teeth. we used to do so in our childhood. now we use flavored toothpastes but we have cavities now
yes i brush 2 times a day and floss i also see dentist 2 times a year for cleanings
Convert to miswak for 2 years and haven't had any cavities or otherwise. I do floss 1x a day if I remember but everytime I go to the dentist for a check up they are always shocked at the length of time between visits and the condition of my teeth and gums.. I then don't usually have the cleaning or flouride as they say it isn't necessary. And I eat a regular Canadian diet I guess, sometimes out and what I make at home. So for me I prefer the miswak to regular toothbrushes and so do my gums :)
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