Are African Twig Toothbrushes the Next Big Thing?

June 16th, 2007 Julie Frey Posted in Dental News |

It’s not uncommon for people in Africa to chew absentmindedly on a twig throughout the day. Twig ToothbrushSeveral studies have found that bush toothbrushes are as or more effective than our manufactured plastic models, and some woods may contain antimicrobial compounds. A few upscale US stores have even begun selling these “chew sticks.”

Read the Scientific American article

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One Response to “Are African Twig Toothbrushes the Next Big Thing?”

  1. Dr. Barry Simmons Says:
    June 20th, 2007 at 3:59 pm

    I worked in rural Africa three months every summer as a dentist for many years. I found that the tree used as the source of the “bush toothbrush/chew stick” was named the Neim(s?) tree. This information was confirmed by the dental school in Ibaden, Nigeria. I saw the chew-sticks being used throughout Cameroon(NW) and Nigeria(NE) and observed a very low decay rate, even though sugar cane was seen being chewed regularly, by many.

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