Procedure for cleaning the teeth as per our sashtra.

We know there was no habit of cleaning the teeth in the west and the Arabian countries till about three hundres years ago.  However we have an ancient procedure which cannot be younger than 2500 years.

प्रक्षाल्य चरणौ हस्तौ मुखं चाथ यथाविधि

आचम्य प्राङ्ग़्मुकः स्थित्त्वा धन्तधावनमाचरेत्

आयुरित्यादि मन्त्रोयम् उक्त्तश्शाखाभिमन्त्रणे

विनाभिमन्त्रणम् तूष्णीं  वृधास्याद्दन्तधावनं

अस्य प्रजापति ऋसिः च्चन्दोऽनुष्टुप् वनस्पतिः

देवतेति हृदि ध्यात्वा मन्त्रारम्भे वदेत् बुधः॥

आयुर्ब्बलं यशो वर्चः प्रजा पशू वसूनिमा

ब्रह्मप्रज्ञां च मेधां च त्वन्नो देहि वनस्पते॥

अभिमन्त्र्य हृतां शाखाम् मन्त्रेणानेन वै द्विजः

अध ऊर्ध्वक्रमेणैव धावयेत् शाखया तया

वामभागं समारम्भ्य प्रादक्षिण्य क्रमेण तु

सर्वे कन्टकिनः पुण्याः क्षीरिण्यश्च यशस्कराः

अष्टाङ्गुलेन मानेन दन्तकाष्टमिहोच्यते

पूर्वोत्तरे तु दिक्भागे सर्वान् कामान् अवाप्नुयात्।

prakSaalya charaNau hastau mukhaM chaatha yathavidhi

aachamya praa~NGmukaH sthittwaa dhantadhaavanamaacharet

aayurityaadi mantroyam ukttashshaakhaabhimantraNe

vinaabhimantraNam tuuSNiiM  vR^idhaasyaaddantadhaavanaM

asya prajaapati R^isiH chchando.anuSTup vanaspatiH

devateti hR^idi dhyaatwaa mantraarambhe vadet bhudhaH..

aayurbbalaM yasho varchaH prajaa pashuu vasuunimaa

brahmapraj~naaM cha medhaaM cha twanno dehi vanaspate..

abhimantrya hR^itaaM shaakhaam mantreNaanena vai dwijaH

adha uurdhwakrameNaiva dhaavayet shaakhayaa tayaa

vaamabhaagaM samaarambhya praadakSiNya krameNa tu

sarve kanTakinaH puNyaaH, kSiiriNyashcha yashaskaraaH

aSTaa~Ngulena maanena dantakaaSTamihochyate

puurvottare tu dikbhaage sarvaan kaaman avaapnuyaat.

1.One has to wake up in the Brahma muhurtam, wash the feet , hands and face, 

2.Perfrom the aachamanam facing east and  the cleaning of the teeth  should be done in a standing posture.

3.One has to chant the vanaspati mantram..

4 Aayurbaalam yaso varchah praj pashu vasoonima bramaprajnaam che medhaama cha twam no dehi vanaspte... the rishi for the mantra is Prajapti, the metre is Anushtup and the Devata in Vanaspathi.. the growths of the forests.
( Vanaspati is a general term denoting all the flora and fauna. But Sushruta and Charaka refer to Vanaspati as the trees which bear fruits but we cannot see evidence of flowering))

5  The meaning of the Vanaspati  manthra is “ You the trees and herbs of the forest,  please bless me with long life, fame, brahma varchas, children, cattle, wealth, realization of brahmam, and sharp intellect, because I am going to clean my teeth with your twigs.

6 The twig from a tree should have been  picked before chanting this mantra.  If someone cleans his teeth without this thanksgiving and prayer,  his mouth will remain stale. 

7  The order of cleaning the teeth is from bottom of the teeth to the up staring from the left molarsa and going up and down and round clockwise.

8.The twig should have a length of at least  eight inches.

9 All twigs with thorns are good for cleaning the teeth and the twigs which ooze milk are more beneficial. (Thank God rubber was not yet in India at that time). 

10 If one cleans his teeth with twig standing facing the directionof north-east (eesana direction) , he shall be blessed with  whatever he desires

11.There are some days when toothcleaning is prohibited. Prthama, Amavasya, Shashti, Ashtami, Navami and Sankarama Dina . (Cleaning the teeth is not advised on days of Sraaddham, and other special pitru dinams..)

12 On these days and if a person is not able procure a proper twig to clean the teeth anyday,  he should fill his mouth full with water and gurgle and spit out the water twelve times at a stretch.(gargling)

13 Anyway our ancestors were better that modern times in some ways.

14 Now we don’t brush before first  tea or coffee..brush with animal gelatine.. some chemicals are added which  give only temporary relief from the oral bacteria and stench..

15  By western standards it is okey because even queen victoria did not clean her teeth.  

16  May be the reason for immense population in India over the years was our habit of cleaning the teeth and mouth for at least 25 centuries now. Oral hygeine definitely enhances chances of intimate human contacts.