Garcinia kola, Gouania Lupiloides, Salvadora Persica
COMMON NAMES: African chewstick, Jamaican chewstick, siwak.
Used as a toothpaste, African/Jamaican Chewsticks will remove tarter, kills bacteria that causes tooth decay, stop bleeding gums and tighten loose teeth.1
Brushing our teeth -- such a commonplace activity today, has been around for a long time. Egyptians were concerned about their dental hygiene. We know this today because they also had the good habit of being entombed with all their treasures. So we were able to discover that tombs from 3000 years before Christ contained small tree branches whose ends had been frayed into soft fibers. A variety of oral hygiene measures have been performed since the dawn of time. This has been verified by various excavations done all over the world, in which toothpicks, chewsticks, tree twigs, linen strips, birds' feathers, animal bones and porcupine quills were recovered. Those that originate from plants are tasty twigs and although primitive, they represented a transitional step towards the modern toothbrush. It has been stated that about seventeen plants could be counted as natural sources for several of these oral hygiene devices.2,3
Dentists are scarce in many parts of Africa, particularly in rural areas.3 Although diet plays a major role in causing dental caries, the practice of dental hygiene is also important. While toothpaste and toothbrushes are widely used by the sector of the population with a high level of formal education, toothpaste consumption is still low and chewing sticks are still in common use in many parts of Africa, particularly West Africa and the Middle East. Even when people would prefer to use toothbrushes, they do not have access to toothpaste due to high cost or remoteness. As a result, continued access to popular and effective sources of chewing sticks which have antibacterial properties, makes the chewstick important as a primary health care measure. It has been determined that chewsticks not only contain substances that possess antibacterial properties, but have astringent, detergent and abrasive properties as well. These properties have encouraged some toothpaste laboratories to incorporate powdered stems and/or root material in their products. The chemical constituents of Salvadora Persica for example, contain trimethyamines, alkaloids, chlorides, high amounts of fluoride and silica, sulphur, vitamin C and small amounts of tannins, saponins, flavonoids and sterols.2
Studies of bacteria taken directly from patients' mouths support a possible link between gum and heart disease. By exposing those samples to human blood platelets, researchers at Temple University School of Dentistry and Medicine have further confirmed a possible link between periodontal bacteria and heart disease.4 Almost immediately after exposure of human platelets to the dental plaque bacteria, the platelets began to clump together. Out of all the periodontal bacteria that was tested, only Porphyromanas gingivalis caused this clumping, which is a key step in the formation of bloodstream thrombi (blockage).
Porphyromanas gingivalis is the most important bacterial cause of destructive gum diseases in adults. The Temple research findings further support and expand a possible link between periodontal disease and development of arthrosclerotic heart disease, a condition resulting from plaque build-up and constriction of coronary heart arteries, and strokes affecting the brain. The importance of these findings is that at least 36 million American adults have some form of destructive periodontal disease, which leads to loosening and loss of teeth. Porphyromanas gingivalis is very frequently in dental plaque causing this disease. These people may be at increased risk of getting heart disease and strokes if Porphyromanas gingivalis from their mouth gets into the bloodstream and clumps platelets similar to what was seen in the laboratory.
The Fluoride Rebellion5
In 1995, the California State Legislature passed a law requiring the fluoridation of all public water supplies for communities serving more than 10,000 customers. Santa Cruz, a town about 50 miles south of San Francisco, said no to the state law, and enacted its own law prohibiting fluoridation of water without a majority vote of city residents. The town is not alone in its opposition to the process; legislatures in Hawaii, Kansas, Pennsylvania and Washington have all voted down fluoridation proposals. The U.S. government and health officials have been telling us for years that fluoridation helps reduce dental cavities and is perfectly safe. Why, then, is there growing resistance to this practice?
No one questions that fluoride is an extremely toxic chemical at certain levels; even warning labels on fluoridated toothpaste now use the word "poison". The question is, how much is too much? Fluoride and its compounds are ubiquitous in our environment. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that at least 155,000 tons a year are discharged by U.S. industry. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports that airborne fluorides cause more damage to domestic animals than any other air pollutant. On top of this widespread environmental contamination, fluoride is added to dental products, and to drinking water in many communities.
Those opposed to fluoridation, claim that Americans are exposed to excessive fluorides which result in a variety of health problems. For example, bone fracture rates among male children and teenagers have risen dramatically since 1957, and eight different epidemiological studies link water fluoridation and increased bone fractures. In light of the rising fracture rates, the Journal of the American Medical Association has suggested a reevaluation of water fluoridation.
Bone cancer is also linked to fluoride use. Because of the cancer potential and other health risks associated with fluoride, a senior EPA official has stated that the agency should act immediately to protect the public from fluoride's dangers. One former EPA scientist went so far as to say that the government has based its fluoride safety standards on "fraudulent information and altered reports."
What about fluoride's alleged benefits in fighting cavities? There is data suggesting that fluoride has no benefit whatsoever. For example, in the 1980s, a prominent fluoride proponent in New Zealand attempted to gather statistics in support of fluoridation. Instead, he found that children living in un-fluoridated areas had fewer cavities than those in areas with fluoridated water.
Instructions for Use of African/Jamaican Chewsticks in Tooth and Gum Care
Clove is a natural pain killer, so if there is any pain in teeth or gums, add 1 teaspoonful of whole cloves or one drop of Clove oil to the chewsticks when boiling. The powerful anesthetic properties of clove oil ensure that it is a staple in the dentist's surgery. Dressings containing clove oil are very effective in cleansing and soothing holes in the teeth and aching empty tooth sockets. For the treatment of toothache at home, put a drop of clove oil in a tablespoon full of warm water, soak some cotton wool in this, screw up a tiny ball of the cotton wool and apply this to the affected tooth.
Myrrh can be used to treat mouth ulcers and bad breath. Mouth ulcers may result from a variety of causes varying from friction from a denture or rough tooth, poor circulation, bacterial or fungal infection (Candida) or possibly an undetected food allergy. Mouth ulcers almost always occur in people that are "run down" physically or emotionally stressed.
Add one drop of myrrh to a half of glass of water or chewstick water. Makes an excellent antiseptic mouthwash for ulcers, gingivitis, bad breath, bleeding gums, and also strengthens spongy gums.
Suggestion: Repeat treatment mornings and at nighttime before going to sleep, and after each meal, 3-4 times a day until gums and teeth become healthier and stronger.
1Rashan Abdul Hakim, Basic Herbs and Healing, 1989.
2Siwak-As An Oral Health Device (Preliminary Chemical and Clinical Evaluation), Dr. M. Ragaii El-Mostehy, et al; Kuwait.
3Medicine Plant Use In Africa, (http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/peopleplants/wp/wp1/africa1.htm.)
4Based on information in: Food & Water Journal, Summer 1998; Alternative Medicine, Issue #25.
5 "First Study To Take Bacteria Directly From Patients' Mouths Further Supports Possible Link Between Gum And Heart Disease", University Health Sciences Center, (http://www.ocis.temple.edu/)