Chewing sticks were not just popular in India (see my post on Ancient India). Ancient Muslims have been chewing on the branches of the Salvadora persica tree in order to keep teeth clean for centuries. These chewing sticks are still popular today and are readily available. The chewing stick, also known as a miswak, can be made from a variety of tree branches. Cleaning before prayer is a basic tenant of the faith, and that is present is the Hadith. Muhammad himself is cited as saying “Were it not that I might overburden the believers-and in the hadith transmitted by Zuhair” people” -I would have ordered them to use toothstick…

I finally finished the portion of my research paper on Ancient India. I’ve decided to post it here since I am still a long way off from having the entire paper done and I want to share what I’ve found with everyone. There is a wealth of information on history of Ayurvedic and I look forward to doing a deeper dive into other areas of health and wellness once this paper is done. Toothbrushes, called datana, were in common use in Ancient India. However, they are not the toothbrushes we think of today. Instead of being constructed with a handle bored with holes for bristles, they were fashioned from twigs,…

I just finished reading The Physicians of Myddfai by Dr. Harold Selcon. I learned about the book from one of the academic articles I was reading on oral hygiene and rushed to find a copy for myself. It took a few days for me to get into it, and there was a lot of information that did not pertain to my current area of research, but I did find some very interesting tidbits that I would like to share with you. How to Act at Getting From Bed, and Subsequently During the Day, with Other Hygienic Matters Chapter 186 of The Physicians of Myddfai states “…clean the teeth with the…

I recently realized that I hate bone carving. I was not finding joy in it, and therefore it kept getting pushed down on my task list. My research suffered because I was so focused on completing this project. A friend asked why I felt the need to recreate the ancient Chinese toothbrush. I don’t remember what I told her, but upon further reflection, I don’t have a good reason, other than I figured it was the next step in the project. But, I don’t have to MAKE things. I can enjoy the research, which is the part of the A&S community I love the most. The Plan With renewed energy,…

I have hit a brick wall with my research. I was all excited because I found “new” materials and when I dove into them, found they contain the same information I’ve found previously. This is great because it solidifies my findings, but frustrating because I was hoping to have new information to add to my project. While I have not given up hope on finding more data, I have decided to shift my focus for a bit. In an attempt to recreate a Chinese toothbrush handle, I am going to spend some time learning how to carve bone. I purchased a good quality dust mask, dug into old PPE from…

The Chinese are credited as having produced the first toothbrushes during the Tang Dynasty (618 to 907 AD).  The first toothbrushes were constructed from ivory, bone, or bamboo and hog’s or horse’s hair. Two ivory handles were found in a tomb dating from 959 AD.  These handles are approximately the size and shape of the modern toothbrush.  There were two columns of four holes each drilled into them for the bristles.   The Chinese used mouthwash daily.  There were a variety of items used, including saltwater solutions, tea, horse urine, wine, and vinegar. The Romans would burn and grind up animal bones to use in their dentifrices. In India, people cleaned…