I picked up a nice travel toothbrush at the local drug store that stores the brush dry in the hollow handle. I am thinking of using it with baking soda or salt, probbly at least as effective as most commercial products.

REI used to sell a nice toothbrush that stored the toothpaste in the handle - the whole thing was a handy cylinder about six inches long.

campmor has these Is that what you were thinking of?

Absolutely, John. The amount of abrasive in toothpaste is nearly non existant. There was some lawsuit inspired controversy years ago regarding damage to enamel from the addition of abrasives to dentifrice. The levels were found to be totally insignificant. In fact I believe the FDA limits it. Also quite some time ago, a small tribe in Africa was studied since they were almost completely free of dental disease, both decay and periodontal conditions. Their dental health was found to be the result of the practice of using a "chewing stick" all day long. I don't recall the fibrous wood that was used, but as they chewed it, it became a mass of small "bristles" which cleansed the teeth. Occasionally they would grasp the "brush" and supplement the chewing with deliberate brushing. BTW, the toothbrush containers should be soaked weekly in Chlorox solution as done with your brush. Also BTW, salt/baking soda is excellent as a tooth paste substitute. In the long run though, it's the physical action of the bristles that does the job. Regards, Lou I definitely would not advise the use of a chewing stick, however, as, without the proper wood, small fibers could come loose potentially causing damage to the gums.

Lou,

Thanks a lot for validating my technique. Most of my toothbrushing on camping trips is without toothpaste. A toothbrush frequently dunked in a cup of water seems to leave my teeth feeling fairly clean. That's also a technique I've used extensively at the office after lunch. Toothpaste complicates things enough after lunch in a business environment that it has not seemed to be a viable alternative. On the other hand, using a wet toothbrush is pretty simple, even in a business environment.

Regards,

John

Oral-B sells a travel toothbrush - it comes in two parts, the brush sticks inside a holder. Pull the brush out, reverse it, stick the base in the holder, and you have a full length toothbrush.

I also own a camping toothbrush called a "Toob". It is a full-length toothbrush with a protective cover for the brush. The handle of the brush comes off and is a squeezable toothpaste tube. You can refill it - it has an opening in the base that screws onto a standard toothpaste tube, you just squeeze the toothpaste into the "Toob" and you have a toothbrush with toothpaste stored in the handle.

>>I do have anything in my kit I want besides signaling gear.

In that case, take out your copy of Wayne Merry's "The Official Wilderness First Aid Guide" (ISBN 0771082509).

It's probably covered in any good book on Wilderness First Aid.

Fortunately, an abscess is one of those medical emergencies where you DO have the luxury of being able to sit down and read about it before you have to treat it - unlike, say, CPR <img src="images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Well, you would take your ice skate, (the one you found in the packages washed up on the beach) place ithe blade against your tooth, a strike the opposite end sharply with a rock.

Sorry, I couldn't resist. <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />