Barry Keegan told me that, prior to the Civil War, people kept their toothbrushes in cups of charcoal powder. Barry suggested I give his recipe for survival toothpaste a try. It works.
Here’s the recipe:
1-2 coals from a burned wood fire (I used cedar, oak and maple)
1-2 twigs from a birch tree (I used black birch)
I ground the coal to dust and used my fingers to spread it on my teeth and gums, front and back.
Then I chewed on a birch twig, which actually cleaned the charcoal off my teeth.
I rinsed, spit, and just to check, I grabbed my toothbrush and brushed my teeth. The brush was clean - no black dust and no wood fibers on the bristles.
One day later, I dipped my toothbrush into the charcoal powder and brushed my teeth and gums. I chewed a fresh birch twig and rinsed with cool water. My toothbrush rinsed off clean with plain, cool water.
I flossed - neither charcoal nor plant fibers were stuck between my teeth.
I’m going to try this a few more times, including just before I visit my dentist.