An email advertising an electric toothbrush costing a five figure amount landed in my inbox. It promised to rotate 360 degrees with an assurance to reach all niches of my teeth and gums. I was not inclined to invest good money on a disposable brush head and deleted the mail. Cleaning the teeth should not cost a lot of money—whether electric or manual. Nobody touches on the real cause of tooth decay, namely, eating too much of processed foods and sweets without enough fibre.
Herbivores eat grass, leaves and stems containing fibre. As they chew, their teeth are also getting brushed. But I ate mostly starch: cooked rice, dhal and vegetables did not clean my teeth. The remnants of what I ate took refuge in the crevices of my teeth.
Umikari or burnt paddy husk mixed with powdered salt used to be kept in a tin box in the backyard of my grandfather’s house. One had to take a small portion of umikari in one’s left palm and chafe it between the thumb and index finger of the right hand to make it into powder. With a wet index finger, the umikari was daubed on the teeth. After rubbing the powder on the teeth, we rinsed our mouths with water and spat it out.
Umikari went out of fashion once white toothpowders and toothpastes were introduced by multinational companies. After a few decades, the toothpaste makers are now asking whether your toothpaste contains salt, fluoride, clove oil, charcoal, neem oil, etc. Carbon toothbrushes and charcoal toothpastes have also been introduced by the companies which are striving to make our teeth clean. What my grandparents used traditionally is being reintroduced by the multinational companies.
Many villagers pluck twigs from a neem tree, chew one end flat and use the fibrous brush to clean their teeth. Children do not relish the bitter taste of neem. Village elders advise children that neem twigs are the best and cheap brushes available to clean teeth.
My dentist, during an oral examination, told me that I was brushing my teeth too hard that they were getting worn out. The dentist advised me to buy toothbrushes with soft bristles. It is said that tooth enamel is the hardest substance in the human body. But humanity is hard pressed to save the hardest substance by employing numerous strategies. Nevertheless, the number of people waiting for a dentist’s appointment is only growing every day.
P Subramanian
Email: mailpsubramanian@gmail.com