Nearly half a billion people in China never brush their teeth

It is estimated that less than half of the rural population and only 10% of Chinese city dwellers have proper dental hygiene! It's so bad that many people resort to using twigs or green tea to clean their teeth, either out of tradition or out of necessity due to poverty. Even former chairman Mao Zedong is said to have had teeth that were stained green! Currently, for every 60,000 people in China, there is only one dentist.

More Info: oneindia.com

Test your knowledge

What are your thoughts on this subject?

51 Comments

Sridhar Nyapathi

The old practice is to cut a small twig, the size of a pencil,from a tree and chew the end of it into a brush , and use it .The older generations knew which trees which were good for this purpose, and which to avoid. Many still use them in villages because they can not afford a brush.The practice is still prevalent in India.

patrhea

My grandmother once showed me a tree next to her garden and told me that when she was a little girl they would take twigs from that Sassafras tree to use for toothbrushes. I ask why, and she said there were no toothbrushes in the stores to buy until after the WW1. That was all they had back in 1890-1900's. She then broke a twig for me and one for her. We chewed to make a brushy tip and it tasted like Teaberry chewing gum if anyone remembers that😉 Good memories of walking with my Grandmother. Excellent Q&A

Tobias Cordingley

Just because they don't brush their teeth, doesn't mean they do not clean them. There are hundreds of natural ways to clean your teeth. Chewing, swilling, jets, and so on. Brushing wears down enamel. Those half a billion, might have something over us!

James Merendino

7 out of 10 Americans brush their teeth. Not much better. (glass houses)

Elizabeth Ouma

A lot of cultures don't "brush" their teeth in a traditional western way. Some in Africa chew a piece of sugarcane (when fresh it is not potent and has antibacterial properties much like honey) which is very fibrous and when all hat is left is the fiber you would think you have had a professional cleaning your teeth are so smooth. (If you has sugarcane stalks available in your grocery store or have a Bahamas mama restaurant near you {they use fresh squeezed sugarcane in some of their drinks either asked for the already squeezed part and chew it for a few minutes or as for a piece - you would need to peel the tough outside skin of with a knife if you can't bite it with your teeth- and chew it its very juicy at first} I challenge you to give it a go) ergo brushing teeth is not the only path to good oral hygiene.

David McKay

True Falses are nearly always true

Phyllis Keh

poor oral hygine effects th whole body. That is digusting.

Ben

I wouldn't be surprise, that is why they are called ancient China. They have the oldest tradition known to men. Western tradition is not their cup of tea. Who would ever want to have lips to lips with chairman Mao? She would probably die of tetanus.

Henry Ford 1889

Communism and it's consequences

Noelito

Christopher John Goddard, How would YOU know?

Albert

Wow! No need for brushing our teeth daily. And again a true.

Player

Sridhar Nyapathi, I once saw someone on Kickstarter raising money for something like that.

Wendy Smart

My mother's grandfather use to clean his teeth with charcoal and we lived in australia thou he did come from Spanish background

littledick

Reminds me of when I was in grad school. Stayed in a rooming house with several guys from India. Knowing that sugar takes up a fair amount of the Indian diet, I asked one of them about dental problems. He told me that in India they use a twig from some tree (shrub?) that has fluoride properties. Interesting.