How did Native Americans clean their teeth?

Answer 1

"In many regions of the world, people are cleaning their teeth with twigs, most often from oak and neem trees," says Dr. Steven Goldberg. "They break a twig in half, splay and soften the broken end and then rub it on their teeth, in effect, wiping the surface of their teeth clean," Goldberg adds.

Sally Fallon, president of the Weston A. Price Foundation, a nonprofit nutrition education foundation, tells Mother Nature Network that in traditional societies that have no access to Western foods with processed sugars and white flour, many of these indigenous people have no cavities, and flash smiles with perfect pearly white teeth, even though tooth brushing is rare.

"Within a very short time of forgoing their traditional, native diets, though, cavities become evident," says Fallon, adding that the next generation of natives who eat processed food will begin to develop crooked teeth.

Answer 2

Just like you do...they took baths. This, of course, had to be done in creeks, rivers, etc.

Answer 3

They were known to bathe infants initially in running water such as streams and waterfalls, this was not a religious custom, but may have such overtones. Probably merely sanitary bathing.