Caring for our mouths and the planet

My toothbrush used to be plastic. I used to skimp on the cost of toothbrushes. One day, the environmentalist in me said, “What the !*!*!*?” and I stopped dead in my tracks. I didn’t know,

“Approximately 1-billion plastic toothbrushes are thrown out each year in the United States alone … totaling about 50-million pounds of plastic waste being added to the landfills each year.”

I was ashamed and concerned. My next thought was that I would hold onto my toothbrush for longer. Maybe use a single brush for six months or a year … or just maybe even wait until my dental hygienist offered me another one for free.

My path to a sound sustainable solution

 Of course holding on to a toothbrush is not a healthy solution. We definitely need to change our toothbrushes at least every three months and most certainly if we’ve been ill. More importantly, it wasn’t about how long I kept a plastic object in my possession, it was (and is) about limiting the volume of plastic and other synthetic materials in my life.

I want to care for the planet. I do not feel that it’s a burden nor do I think that I am being asked to do anything particularly difficult when it comes to making sustainable choices. My first step was to consider sound alternatives. Maybe even giving up a brush all together.

Roots, Barks, and Twigs

 As we said in, Dental Herbalism: Natural Therapies for the Mouth, for thousands of years our ancestors relied on roots, barks, and twigs from scores of different plants to mechanically clean, abrade, and freshen the mouth, teeth, and gums. Choice depends on geography, availability, seasonality, and personal as well as cultural preferences.

Around the world, both fresh and dried chew sticks remain the tool of choice for maintaining and sustaining oral health. … Their use was recorded by the Babylonians some 5,000 years ago.”

I like my chewstick, use it regularly and truly appreciate its portability. The use of chew sticks certainly warrants a later focused post.

What about brushing with a bamboo toothbrush?

Talk about eco-friendly! First, it’s not plastic. Too, the annual yield of bamboo is at least 15% greater than that of trees because it’s such a very fast-growing plant. It’s a sustainable choice. It can be both composted, when plastic bristles are removed, or (!) as herbalists, we can easily repurpose these toothbrushes.

Once a toothbrush retires, it can be blanched and then used to clean roots and shoots, or to scrub the crevices of a grow tray, the edges of greenhouse pane of glass or to clean small difficult places most anywhere. These are just a few options, but lately my fave is as a plant label.

Be sure to check out bamboo toothbrushes. Choice is pretty extensive. Indeed, buy them in bulk, change them regularly and celebrate your pearly whites.