Dental hygiene

Stick of wood with frayed end, Mbundu people, Angola, before 1936

Girl with a chew stick, Ganawuri, Nigeria, 1950s

Left: Collected by Antoinette and Diana Powell-Cotton 1936–1937 and donated by the Powell-Cotton Museum in 1945; 1945.10.44
Right: From a photograph taken by Thomas Arthur Manly Nash; 1998.304.1.93The history of oral hygiene is goes back a long way. Thousands of years ago the Ancient Egyptians cleaned their teeth by rubbing on a mixture containing ash of ox hooves, myrrh, powdered and burnt eggshells, and pumice. Even much later in 18th-century Britain, toothpowders contained similarly abrasive ingredients such as brick dust, bits of china, and cuttlefish.

Toothbrushes began life as chewing sticks, which were used in Babylon, Mesopotamia from around 3500 BC. The chew-stick shown here is from Africa, where millions are still used today. The part that goes in the mouth has been stripped of its outer bark and the ends frayed ends to act as floss. There is no need for toothpaste and the stick can be chewed for several hours. In Ghana more than 100 species of woody plant are used for chewing and many have special properties: the aptly named 'toothbrush tree' (Salvadora persica) contains anti-bacterial agents and fluoride, and fragrant plants like sandalwood freshen the breath.

In Muslim countries, a type of chew-stick known as a miswak is commonly used; the prophet Mohammed used one and Islamic literature recommends that followers use it on numerous occasions: before prayer or entering a house; on Fridays; before and after sleep or a long journey; or when experiencing hunger or thirst.

Studies have shown that such methods of oral hygiene maintenance are no less effective than commercial products and the World Health Organisation encourages the use of chewing sticks in poorer countries.

In the Western world, America led the way in dental innovation. The first toothbrish with nylon bristles appeared in the 1930s and the first electric toothbrush came on to the market in the 1960s. Dental floss made of thin plant fibres has been used since ancient times, but New Orleans dentist Levi Spear Palmy promoted flossing the teeth with a piece of silk thread in 1815.