In the era when there were no toothbrushes and toothpaste, how did the ancients maintain oral hygiene? In a difficult environment, they have created a unique method of oral hygiene and a persistent pursuit of personal hygiene.
Even when the environment is unfavorable, their hygiene habits are developed.
During the Qin Dynasty, oral cleaning tools were not well developed. Popular"Bronze toothbrush"Shaped like a pipe, the round hole is stuffed with strips of cloth used as toothbrushes, and is the exclusive item of the elite class, which is difficult for ordinary people to access.
The peasants of that era lived a hard life, toiling in the fields during the day and had no time to care about luxuries like toothbrushes. Even if you hear about it, you may just sigh countless times that it can't be used.
As a result, bronze toothbrushes were only used in a few eunuchs' homes, and most people still relied on the most basic finger grinding.
The people of the Han Dynasty were limited by the conditions, and used hand salt brushing method, rubbing the surface of the teeth with their fingers dipped in salt, although the effect was limited, but at least it could maintain basic oral hygiene.
At that time, doctors tried to use plants and herbs to clean teeth, but the production process was cumbersome and difficult for ordinary people to master. At that time, people's fate was arranged by cruel reality, and they acquiesced in the fate of mottled teeth, believing that it was the fate given to them by God.
For them, being able to live is already the greatest happiness, and saving their lives is more important than taking care of their teeth.
During the Three Kingdoms period, oral hygiene has become an important part of people's daily lives. Salt water, strong tea, alcohol, etc. are all used as gargles"Mouth cleaner"Especially after eating, after taking medicine, and before going to bed, people will regularly clean their mouths in order to purify their mouths and prevent disease infection.
Among them, the most popular mouthwash is "chicken tongue fragrance", which has a fresh aroma and can effectively clean the mouth, so it was loved by people at the time and was revered as "ancient chewing gum".
This shows that the concept of personal hygiene of the ancients has been quite advanced, and their cleaning habits are even more diligent and persistent than our modern people.
In the past, people believed that the oral cavity was the only way to enter the internal organs. If the oral health is not good, various diseases can take advantage of the opportunity to invade and affect other parts of the body.
Therefore, they consider oral hygiene to be the most important thing. Even if the living conditions are difficult, they will spare no effort to research mouthwash materials. For example, the chicken tongue incense at that time was made from lily, rosemary and other plants through a cumbersome process.
Although it is expensive and difficult for ordinary families to afford, as long as conditions permit, ordinary people will be willing to spend a lot of money to buy. Because it's about your own health and that of your family.
This shows that the ancients were more hygienic than we think, and they would do their best to save their lives.
After the Tang Dynasty, the Buddhist faith gradually spread among the people. Under the influence of the monks, people began to brush their teeth with willow branches. After soaking the picked willow branches and biting one end, the toughness of the willow makes the brush head not break, and many fine fibers are scattered, making it a soft natural toothbrush.
Then dip it in salt or powder to double the effect of brushing. Therefore, "chewing willow branches in the morning" has become the most common way to brush teeth after the Tang Dynasty, and the folk also spread the saying of "chewing tooth wood in the morning".
Not only monks, but also many scholars and scholars also admired this simple and practical method of brushing teeth. Buddhism believes that always being grateful and caring for oneself is the foundation of spiritual practice. At that time, many monks attached great importance to personal cultivation and regarded dental cleaning as an important step in the cultivation of nature.
After trying a variety of plants, they finally found willow branches with ideal toughness for morning and evening tooth cleaning, which is highly respected by Zen Buddhism.
At the initiative of the monks, this simple and practical cleaning method became popular among vernacular laymen. Many poets and scholars have been deeply touched by the convenience of willow branches after trying it themselves.
Replacing the fingers with twigs undoubtedly greatly relieves the pain of wear. At the same time, it also protects the gums better. Therefore, the literati also joined the ranks. The willow branch brushing method soon became a trend among scholars and doctors at that time.
In the context of the prosperity of the Northern Song Dynasty culture, the first toothpaste specially used for brushing and cleaning came into being. When used in conjunction with tools such as willow branches, the oral hygiene effect is significantly improved.
In the Southern Song Dynasty, a number of small workshops specializing in making and selling toothbrushes sprung up. It can be seen that since the Tang and Song dynasties, the dental health care of the ancients has begun to take shape, and with special tools and formulas, it is no longer a mess.
In the hundreds of years of the Ming and Qing dynasties, the manufacturing process of toothbrushes has made significant progress. Precious materials such as ivory and tortoiseshell shells began to be used to make handles, and dozens of small holes were designed according to the structure of the mouth, with soft horsehair hair, so that the toothbrush gradually took on a modern form.
With the improvement and popularization of toothbrushes, it is no longer just a luxury for the powerful, but has become a hygiene tool that everyone should have. By the middle of the Ming Dynasty, with the prosperity of industry and commerce, toothbrush manufacturing also became an industry worth investing in.
As a result, some dexterous craftsmen began experimenting with various materials to make toothbrushes, among which ivory and hawksbill turtle are popular for their superior texture and auspicious meaning.
From royal luxuries to daily necessities, the popularity of toothbrushes has been accompanied by improvements in the production process and a decline in the world. By the late Qing Dynasty, toothbrushes had become quite popular, and brushing teeth had become a new way of life for the public.
Mouthwashes are responsible for the oral environment, and the variety of mouthwashes has become richer. Among them, the "medicinal gargle" of traditional Chinese medicine extract is particularly popular, not only fragrant smell, palatable taste, but also has the effect of dental disease, which is deeply loved by the people.
In this context, all kinds of ancillary products have also come into being, such as the mouthwash syrup developed by traditional Chinese medicine practitioners according to the ancient formula, containing natural herbs such as leeks and peppermint, which can not only play a role in daily conditioning, but also assist in oral diseases, which is highly respected.
In ancient times, people not only focused on basic oral hygiene such as brushing and rinsing, but also created a variety of unique oral protection methods. For example, during the Song Dynasty, there was a "tea gnawing and grinding method".
People will choose tea leaves with a hard texture, such as Longjing tea, Biluochun, etc., after meals, and chew them directly to grind their teeth. The bitter and astringent taste of the tea soup can also play a certain role in sterilization and reducing inflammation.
In addition, there is also "Natu Tobacco Molar", which can not only satisfy the smoking craving of smokers, but also clean the tooth surface through tobacco wear. This practice was very common in ancient times. In addition, the ancients also attached great importance to the management of oral odor.
They know that saliva itself has the effect of cleaning teeth, so they will swallow saliva often to increase the saliva production in the mouth. Modern medicine has also confirmed that this helps prevent periodontal disease.
These methods were very effective in ancient times for oral protection, and even in modern times, they are worth learning from.
It turns out that while the ancients were tasting food and cigarettes, they also accidentally discovered that they had a miraculous effect on the cleaning of teeth. Scholars and doctors in the Song Dynasty often chewed tea leaves to sharpen their teeth; Some scholars and literati have found that smoking mint cigarettes can clean their teeth.
As a result, there is the saying of "grinding teeth with soil". The wisdom of these ancients is still used by us today.
Through the study of oral health care in ancient times, we can clearly understand that in the thousand-year history from the Qin and Han dynasties to the Ming and Qing dynasties, the ancient people's cognition and practice of oral health care have not changed much.
Despite the difficult living conditions, they did not lose sight of the vital importance of dental health.
Instead, they use the plants and other natural resources available around them to create unique dental care methods that demonstrate a strong focus on personal hygiene and a spirit of innovation in the face of adversity.
Even today, we have a variety of advanced dental techniques, and the rules of brushing and gargling of the ancients are still worth learning from. Ancient chewing relics such as "chewing willow branches in the morning" and "gargling three cups of tea" have also received widespread attention and love in modern society.
Advocating the return to nature and using simple and simple maintenance methods is the precious tooth maintenance wisdom left to us by the ancients. The ancients often compared white teeth to beautiful women, which shows that they attached great importance to dental health.
Despite the harsh environment, the ancients never slackened their teeth maintenance and kept their teeth clean with simple willow branches.
This not only reflects the frugal and simple and persevering qualities of the ancients, but also shows the wisdom gene of the Chinese nation of unremitting self-improvement and flexibility.