Science-backed Reasons Why You Don't Need Toothbrush To Clean Your Mouth

You are probably wondering why there is an article saying you don’t have to use a toothbrush when that is all you have ever used all your life, right?

You must also be wondering what the hell the thing is, which could possibly make more sense than using the tested and trusted toothbrush, toothpaste, mouth wash, dental floss and other modern techniques of caring for your teeth that you are accustomed to and surely not complaining about.

While all of these are useful and very much still active for the purpose of your oral hygiene, you actually do not have to use them to maintain that healthy teeth, and nice dentition.

There are other methods just as powerful, which are used in several parts of the world for the care of the teeth. Take for example, in the Middle East, and some parts of South and Southeast Asia, where many people use twigs from the arak tree (known as miswak) to clean their teeth. They fray the end of the twig, dampen the resulting bristles with water or rosewater and then rub the bristles against their teeth. Just imagine the local chewing stick we use around here and you get a perfect image being painted here.

For years and years, different traditions in different parts of the world have depended on the chew stick to get their teeth cleaned, and science backs the practice [Credit - Afrostyle Mag]

The active ingredient of toothpaste, fluoride, can be found in these chew sticks, too. The wood of the arak tree, for example, has a high concentration of fluoride and other antimicrobial components that prevent tooth decay. Twigs from other trees, especially aromatic trees that freshen the mouth, have been in use in different cultures for thousands of years.

As CNN writes in a recent piece, “some people in rural India, Africa, Southeast Asia and South America use brick powder, mud, salt or ash to clean their teeth. Although these ingredients effectively remove stains and plaque, they don't contain fluoride and are often abrasive, resulting in sensitive teeth and receding gums. Charcoal, which is also a traditional tooth cleaning powder, is making a bit of a comeback.”

You don't necessarily need to use toothpaste to maintain your clear smile [Credit - Shutterstock]

All of these things have merits are useful for the maintenance of an amazing oral hygiene, although they may have little limitations of their own. For example, the sticks can't reach areas between the teeth and although the bark of the arak tree has been said to have antimicrobial properties and a whitening effect, studies have yet to be conducted to investigate its effectiveness or side effects.

They are not toothpaste or mouthwash but as supported by scientific findings, these things can do the job.

So next time you see someone using chewing stick to clean their teeth, don’t look at them like they don’t know what they are doing.