In Sarawak, black teeth were considered beautiful and people rubbed them with burnt coconut shells powdered and mixed with oil. This prevented them, it was said during the ancient days, from having tooth decay! We, however, have not taken “black is beautiful” that far and still consider that teeth should be gleaming white and pearly.
Teeth, nails, and hair are all formed from the same substance-protein (our teeth are believed to be direct descendants of our scales when we lived in the sea)-and diet plays an essential part in their health. Phosphorus, calcium, and Vitamin A and D are the most important and are contained in butter, milk, cheese, fish, fruit, and vegetables; whereas sugar, sweets, soft drinks, and snacks are all most undesirable ( the sugar sticks to the teeth giving it time to ferment and encourage bacteria. I was told in Morocco that Sunflower seeds are very good for your teeth and that they will cure, or prevent bleeding gums. This is very likely because sunflower seeds are rich in the necessary vitamins and minerals, which just goes to show how much truth there is in so many of these old beliefs.
Apart from diet, how can we look after our teeth? The most important thing is to keep them clean. Every time you talk, smile, laugh or scream, your teeth are going to be visible, so you would think we would bother to look after them properly. It is surprising, however, how little attention we give them, apparently thinking that a hasty scrub morning and evening is enough-it isn’t.
They should be cleaned at least two or three times a day with a different brush each time to allow the brushes to dry. But do you know how to clean them properly? Most of us use too much toothpaste and tend to think that if our mouth feels fresh from the peppermint or menthol flavouring in the toothpaste, our teeth are clean, the chances are that they are not. We should brush with an up-and-down movement and clean a couple of teeth at a time starting at the back. Most dentists agree that electric toothbrushes are a good idea probably because, as they work so quickly, the average two minutes we spend cleaning our teeth will be more effective than two minutes with an ordinary toothbrush.
There are two oral problems, dental decay, and gum disease. Both of these are caused basically by ‘plaque’, the soft white material which builds upon the teeth between cleaning. If not removed in its early stages, by brushing, this plaque hardens to form ‘calculus’ which has to be removed by the dentist during scaling.
If we can control plaque, we are on our way to keeping our teeth and gums healthy. This regular tooth brushing is essential. Brushing with water alone is quite effective but toothpaste hinders the build-up of stain on the teeth and if it is a fluoride paste, also helps to reduce decay. Toothpicks and dental floss are great assets and should be used in this fight against plaque. Roman women used toothpicks of mastic wood to harden their gums and sweeten their breath.
Unfortunately, for years the dentist has had a bad reputation, and some people are still so frightened of the dentist that they would rather wait and risk eventually having to have all their teeth removed than go for regular check-ups. Nowadays, there is absolutely no reason to be scared of the dentist as, with anaesthetics and tranquillizers, treatments are painless.
I am constantly amazed to see people who are beauty-conscious and spend money on clothes and yet have discoloured misshapen teeth. I would save for years to have my teeth improved, as I think nothing is so obvious or ageing. A well-known film make-up artist stated that if an actor or actress looks too young you simply have to put a brown stain on their teeth and it will age them ten years. What a horrifying thought and so here are some recipes to whiten your teeth.
Tooth powders
All sorts of odd and peculiar things have been used for cleaning the teeth, but there are some ingredients and recipes that recur and are used in all parts of the world.
This is a combination that I use and can highly recommend:
- 3 tablespoons bicarbonate of soda
- 2 tablespoons salt
Keep it in a pot and use it as you would any commercial powder. This recipe helps smokers remove nicotine stains from their teeth. You can add pulverized orange and lemon peel to the mixture to whiten the teeth (or use the peels by themselves). I have also found that ashes of burnt bread, charcoal, burnt rosemary, and a mixture of honey and salt, and rye meal are effective. But these are rather fiddly to make and not as good as our basic bicarbonate and salt.
Strawberries can also be used to clean teeth. Simply rub one over your teeth and this not only polishes them but tastes delicious.
In Kenya, there are these African tooth sticks known as “Mswaki”, which the Arabs call “Maswak”.The Africans at the coast and in the desert use Mswaki and they have marvellously white teeth. Just keep the stick with you and use it at odd moments: it is nice to have something to fiddle with, especially if you have just given up smoking.
If African tooth sticks are not available try using the (wooden) end of a match, but be gentle and take care not to damage your gums. Or, better still, use medicated toothpicks which are available from chemists.
Mouth Washes
The simplest and best is rosewater. Another very refreshing, easy one, is a strong infusion of mint. Less pleasant tasting, but one which is most effective especially if you suffer from bleeding gums, is a salt and water solution mixed with a few drops of peroxide. This will help to keep the teeth free from infection and whiten them.
Cloves are also used to sweeten the breath, either chewed by themselves or added to this lotion, I use to watch my maternal grandmother do this.
A few drops of Myrrh can be added to this last mouth wash, or just added to plain water and used by itself as a mouth wash. Myrrh has disinfectant properties and is reputed to help cure spongy bleeding gums. It smells exotic too.
- ¼ cup vinegar
- ½ cup wine
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon powdered cloves
Boil them all together and ‘wash your teeth therewith’.
Olinda Nicholas is a content writer under Headliner by Newswav, a programme where content creators get to tell their unique stories through articles and at the same time monetize their content within the Newswav app.
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