Tooth brushing

Tooth brushing is the act of scrubbing teeth with a toothbrush equipped with toothpaste. Interdental cleaning (with floss or an interdental brush) can be useful with tooth brushing, and together these two activities are the primary means of cleaning teeth, one of the main aspects of oral hygiene. The American Dental Association recommends brushing twice a day for two minutes each time.

History

Teeth-cleaning twigs have long been used throughout human history. As long ago as 3000 BC, the ancient Egyptians constructed crude toothbrushes from twigs and leaves to clean their teeth. Similarly, other cultures such as the Greeks, Romans, Arabs and Indians also cleaned their teeth with twigs. Some would fray one end of the twig so that it could penetrate between the teeth more effectively.

In the Islamic prophetic tradition, Muhammad taught his disciples to brush their teeth using miswak five times per day, and this remains prevalent amongst many Muslims world wide since 610 AD

The Indian method of using wood for brushing was presented by the Chinese Monk Yijing (635–713 AD) when he described the rules for monks in his book:

Every day in the morning, a monk must chew a piece of tooth wood to brush his teeth and scrape his tongue, and this must be done in the proper way. Only after one has washed one's hands and mouth may one make salutations. Otherwise both the saluter and the saluted are at fault.In Sanskrit, the tooth wood is known as the dantakastha—danta meaning tooth, and kastha, a piece of wood.