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SiuWonfung
01-04-2005, 00:01
What do you do in terms of dental hygene? is it okay to not brush one's teeth for like five months? or must one carry along brush and paste?
also, what about flossing? should one floss their teeth while hiking the AT? does anyone floss anyways? here is a theory of mine, anyone who is going to hike the AT has bad, or shall i say low standards of hygene, i mean anyone who flosses everyday and watches all those nightly news special reports on germs in public bathrooms would not last anymore than three days on a trail. well, that's what i think, does anyone floss regularly?
and what about mouth wash on the AT, like Lysterine.
Most pocket knives come witha tooth pick, would that be sufficient?

here's a suggestion anyways, if someone was to bring along a toothbrush, cut the handle down, to like two inches, or maybe three inches if neccesary. but two and a half inches would be the average length to cut it down to.

neo
01-04-2005, 00:08
i carry a small travel size tooth paste and folding tooth brush,:sun neo

Footslogger
01-04-2005, 00:09
Most of the thru-hikers I saw (including myself) in 2003 brushed their teeth every day on the trail.

'Slogger
AT 2003

SGT Rock
01-04-2005, 00:13
I always brush. I just don't wake up right until I do. I have a small tube of travel pate and a toothbrush with a slightly trimmed down handle.

SalParadise
01-04-2005, 00:30
I'm waiting for a dentist to reply and reem you. ha! I'd imagine getting a cavity on the Trail would really stink, let alone the pain of trying to find a dentist willing to come that close to a hiker.

A long shower and a good tooth-brushing feels really nice after a week of hiking.

DMA, 2000
01-04-2005, 00:54
Of course I brush my teeth. And I don't understand taking the time or effort to cut down the handle. I want something to hold onto when reaching for the back molars.

I brought floss, but dumped it when I wasn't bothering to use it. Off trail I floss 2-3x/wk.

SGT Rock
01-04-2005, 01:00
I have a zip lock that is just long enough to put the toothpaste in, and the toothbrush was a little long. I can still reach my back teeth, but now the brush and the tooth paste fit in the ziplock. That is about the only reason for cutting it shorter. If I wanted to save weight I would drill holes in the handle ;)

grrickar
01-04-2005, 01:02
I'd brush. You will likely save yourself some trouble later down the road with cavities or worse. A small travel size tube of paste and a small brush will do.

stupe
01-04-2005, 01:04
Floss 1x, brush 4x daily. Floss also makes good strong thread for emergency sewing. Oh, and Tom's of Maine toothpaste.

Lion King
01-04-2005, 01:36
Instead of dealing with the weight of toothpast and a toothbrush, I hired a Sherpa to carry a Dental Hygenist that would give morning and evening cleanings. Most refreshing I must say.

saimyoji
01-04-2005, 01:43
I generally use my lightsaber to get those nasty bits of couscous.

Singletrack
01-04-2005, 03:10
I leave my teeth at home.

Uncle Wayne
01-04-2005, 03:53
We always brush and floss our teeth on the trail. Don't remember where but I found a toothbrush with a hollow handle that is used to store the toothpaste. For me, it held enough for a 10 day backpacking trip brushing twice a day. YMMV.

PKH
01-04-2005, 06:49
I'm with the Sarge on this. No matter how grotty, filthy and greasy you might feel at times on a hike (or at work for that matter), you can always get an amazing psychological boost by cleaning your teeth and mouth. As a pleasant bonus, your teeth will stay in your head, and you will at least moderate your dragon breath syndrome.

BRUSH YOUR TEETH.


Cheers,

PKH

baseballswthrt
01-04-2005, 07:21
We brush twice a day on the trail and carry floss to use if needed. Floss also makes great thread in an emergency! Most brush their teeth. I think more people brush their teeth than bathe on the trail!

orangebug
01-04-2005, 07:26
Yup, that is correct. I see folks brushing once or twice daily, although a few use dental gum. I can't recall ever seeing anyone floss on the trail, although that might be more welcome than seeing them use their cell phone.

But bathing with a bandana for a quick sponge bath every other day may be among the best strategies to prevent Lyme Disease and other tick borne infections.

Palmer
01-04-2005, 07:35
I always brush my teeth. I carry a two-piece travel toothbrush like the ones that can be found at most drugstores. I had one that stored the toothpaste in the handle, but found that the toothpaste would dry up between hikes and make the contraption unusable. I also carry floss, which I use irregularly.

I remember a time when stores sold tooth powder (instead of tooth paste). I think that would be great for the trail, but I haven't seen it in years.

I've always wondered about the environmental and aesthetical effect of spitting out the toothpaste. Do folks figure it's harmless and will disappear quickly? Do you just swallow it? I can't find any mention of this issue on the Leave No Trace web site.

Hammock Hanger
01-04-2005, 09:37
I remember a time when stores sold tooth powder (instead of tooth paste). I think that would be great for the trail, but I haven't seen it in years.

.
Try looking in a Health Food Store. Sue/HH

Kerosene
01-04-2005, 09:43
I've used Dental Dots during section hikes in place of toothbrush and paste to save weight, but they're a little hard to use and the end result doesn't feel as good. I don't bother to floss when I'm out for 7-10 days.

Jaybird
01-04-2005, 09:51
i take a small "travel toothbrush" & paste (available @ Wal-Mart & other fine retailers!) very lite & well worth the 1 oz :D

peter_pan
01-04-2005, 10:01
I like eating more than hiking therefore I brush 2x daily and floss every so often... cut down childs brush woks fine...and dental floss, not tape, works well as my emergercy thread. :D

The Cheat
01-04-2005, 11:03
I always brush my teeth. I carry a two-piece travel toothbrush like the ones that can be found at most drugstores. I had one that stored the toothpaste in the handle, but found that the toothpaste would dry up between hikes and make the contraption unusable. I also carry floss, which I use irregularly.

I remember a time when stores sold tooth powder (instead of tooth paste). I think that would be great for the trail, but I haven't seen it in years.

I've always wondered about the environmental and aesthetical effect of spitting out the toothpaste. Do folks figure it's harmless and will disappear quickly? Do you just swallow it? I can't find any mention of this issue on the Leave No Trace web site.

What about baking soda as a toothpaste? Would this be better for LNT?

weary
01-04-2005, 11:15
....I've always wondered about the environmental and aesthetical effect of spitting out the toothpaste. Do folks figure it's harmless and will disappear quickly? Do you just swallow it? I can't find any mention of this issue on the Leave No Trace web site.
Spit away from the trail and the shelters and it is harmless both environmentally and aesthetically, though I always cover the unnatural whiteness, by kicking a little dirt or leaves for a cover.

Weary

Valmet
01-04-2005, 11:25
I usually cannot do more than a week at a time hiking due to my job and family so I use the clever toothbrush. I really like the fact the past is in the handle, reduces the items in my pack. I could not go without brushing my teeth. period.

Brushy Sage
01-04-2005, 12:03
I even brush my dentures.

RockyTrail
01-04-2005, 12:22
Just because you're on the trail ain't no reason to not keep yourself healthy. I brush always and sometimes floss (like somebody said floss make a good emergency string).

The only thing about brushing (for sloppy me anyway) is that I tend to use a lot of water to rinse mouth, hands, brush etc during clean up. In a dry camp with no water source this can be "expensive" to the water budget.

HikeLite
01-04-2005, 12:26
I've seen it stated that twice/day brushing is plenty. Colgate Total is a good paste.

swamp dawg
01-04-2005, 13:43
I carry a small tube of paste and a compact toothbrush which I use every day. I carry a small amount of floss for my teeth and for all sorts of emergency repairs. I don't always floss but most hikers I have observed over the years do take the time to brush.
Life is good on the trail......Swamp Dawg

rocket04
01-04-2005, 14:16
I brushed my teeth twice a day on the trail, and most people I met brushed theirs too. I did meet some that didn't, and I must say their breath didn't seem to bother anybody.

hikerjohnd
01-04-2005, 14:29
What about those new brush up things that you put on your inger then toss? I've seen the commercials, but don't remember the name just now...(the commercial goes "rip, slip, brush, ahh") Anyone try those yet?

Lint
01-04-2005, 16:49
I use Eco-Dent tooth powder. The small bottles last forever, and since it is a powder you don't have the bulk or weight (ha!) of regular tooth paste.

The Solemates
01-04-2005, 16:53
Ive never brushed my teeth a day in my life. :rolleyes:

Rocks 'n Roots
01-04-2005, 16:56
I brushed every day.


Just bring a small brush and small travel-sized tube of toothpaste. Put these in a ziplock to prevent grunge and stove fuel from getting on them.


Spit the paste into the firepit or privy where it won't stain...

littledragon
01-04-2005, 18:56
I take baking soda for brushing- it is pretty light and has other uses as well.

MileMonster
01-04-2005, 19:21
Brush as I would at home. Small travel toothpaste and a toothbrush. Some things I just can't ditch in the spirit of lightweight backpacking.

Lilred
01-04-2005, 20:15
I brushed every day.


Just bring a small brush and small travel-sized tube of toothpaste. Put these in a ziplock to prevent grunge and stove fuel from getting on them.


Spit the paste into the firepit or privy where it won't stain...


I'm sorry, but the thought of brushing my teeth near a privy seems quite revolting......

Fiddleback
01-04-2005, 20:22
"I'm sorry, but the thought of brushing my teeth near a privy seems quite revolting......"

But not never, ever brushing one's teeth...?

"Ive never brushed my teeth a day in my life" :-?

FB

Hyway
01-04-2005, 20:54
Why stop at not brushing your teeth. Stop wiping and save the weight of all that toilet paper.

SGT Rock
01-04-2005, 21:12
Ive never brushed my teeth a day in my life. :rolleyes:

Then you may have to change your name to The Mutually Offended.

runs247
01-04-2005, 22:58
I carry a folding toothbrush and a lot of floss. I brush once a day before bed and I floss throughout the day.

Frosty
01-04-2005, 23:31
Why stop at not brushing your teeth. Stop wiping and save the weight of all that toilet paper.If wiping is an alternative to brushing, then I think you are brushing the wrong end.

Newb
01-05-2005, 00:03
I'm from Virginia. I only have one tooth to brush, and I keep it clean and smelling good so that when i kiss my sister she stays happy.

Hyway
01-05-2005, 00:23
If wiping is an alternative to brushing, then I think you are brushing the wrong end.
Every item should have multiple uses. Since the bristles on the brush make me giggle when I wipe with it, i changed to using the paper to brush my teeth. Just have to turn it over. It can also have another use as a fire starter or for wiping nose.

saimyoji
01-05-2005, 00:42
Dont forget, the edges are good for cleaning under finger/toe nails...dental floss?

Rocks 'n Roots
01-05-2005, 01:45
In India they use water to wipe. Toilet paper can be hard to find. They use the left hand for this chore. This is why I sometimes received a hiss when I tried to pay a vendor with my left hand which is considered a local insult...

saimyoji
01-05-2005, 01:51
Knowing it was an insult, why did you continue doing it? :confused:

highway
01-05-2005, 07:46
I take baking soda for brushing- it is pretty light and has other uses as well.
Me too. I'm surprised that more don't. Its lighter than any toothpaste, goes considerably further, certainly more biodegradeable after its job is done, refreshes and polishes too.

I did cut the toothbrush handle, though, to the height of the small plastic ex-peanut butter container my "shaving kit' has now become. I picked the peanut butter up from a hiker box in N Georgia, slowly ate it all the next few days, liked the container so much I decided to use it for something and it became a "shaving kit". It carries tooth brush, baking soda, 2 small containers of campsuds, plastic disposable razor with razor off and 1 extra razor, etc. I put a few turns of duct tape around the outside, too. :-?

Frosty
01-05-2005, 11:06
Every item should have multiple uses. Since the bristles on the brush make me giggle when I wipe with it, i changed to using the paper to brush my teeth. Just have to turn it over. It can also have another use as a fire starter or for wiping nose.:):):):):)

Rocks 'n Roots
01-05-2005, 16:20
Knowing it was an insult, why did you continue doing it?

It's impossible to remember all the time. I doubt you would either...

cburnett
01-05-2005, 18:34
Toward the end of my '04 hike my biggest concern was that I was going to get a cavity from my lack of dental hygiene over the last 4+ months.

There are three things I would do differently on another thru-hike

1) Shower everytime I had a chance (e.g. the morning leaving town, not just when I show up, or when just passing through a town for laundry)

and 2)

brushing my teeth at least every NIGHT (so i've heard this helps the most) no matter how tired I was.

Just ponder what is going down each day. For me I was up to 3-5 snicker bars each day plus several pwr bars just for snacks; Add some flavored drink mix, honey, skittles, etc to my daily diet and I was just asking for a cavity. Thankfully after thinking I was getting one, I started brushing more often than I had been, I currently do not have one.

3) eat more fruits and vegitables in towns and take on my first day out

saimyoji
01-05-2005, 19:06
It's impossible to remember all the time. I doubt you would either...
You're right. I insult people unintentionally on a daily basis. :(
Even having grown up in four different countries, I still fall back on my base instincts sometimes. I hope I didn't offend you too.:o

Lobo
01-05-2005, 20:59
I'm from Virginia. I only have one tooth to brush, and I keep it clean and smelling good so that when i kiss my sister she stays happy.
I've done some research on the toothbrush and apparently it was invented in Virginia!
There must be many people in Virginia with only one tooth, because if the brush was invented in Pennsylvania it would have been called a "teethbrush"! :-?

flyfisher
01-06-2005, 13:46
I carry a toothbrush with the handle cut in half... not for weight, but so that it can be carried in my pocket. I brush my teeth several times a day, just with water, because it feels good.

I carry a 1 oz plastic bottle that used to be a hotel shampoo bottle that has a mouth about 3/4 of inch across. I fill it with toothpaste and then use just a smidgen of it a day (0.5 g maybe) in the morning or evening or both. It is not really enough to even need to spit the stuff out... I think of it as my flouride supplement.

The bottle of toothpaste will hold me for several weeks of hiking. When it gets low, I get a small tube of toothpaste and fill it again. Using the bottle, I never worry about the tube getting crushed or developing a leak.

cyclocrosser
01-09-2005, 19:06
Has anyone tried the Clever Toothbrush (Campmore)? It holds the paste in the handle and you turn the end of the handle and it cones out in the bristles. Thought it might save weight and space, does anyone know? :confused:

Mountain Dew
01-10-2005, 02:07
I always brushed my teeth on the trail twice a day for the first 3/4 of my thru-hike trip. Somewhere around N.H. I beleive it was I suddenly realized that I had forgotten to brush my teeth for about 3 days. How could that of happened i thought to myself. oh well ...

Red Hat
01-12-2005, 11:23
I bought the Clever toothbrush from Campmore, but found it much heavier when filled with toothpaste than carrying a small toothbrush and toothpaste. Those little travel sets are fine and light.

Happy Feet
01-13-2005, 15:24
Hatman and I always brushed our teeth on the trail. We got extra small sample size toothpastes from our dentist. As for floss, I carried some and used it mostly to get those tiny blueberry seeds out from between our teeth! Mmmmmmmm...blueberries!

Volleydoll18
01-13-2005, 17:12
I'm about to start to AT this spring. For all thoes die hard light back packers, you can save weight with your toothbrush by drilling holes in the handle. it will still be big enough to hold onto. :clap

sticks
01-13-2005, 18:05
:rolleyes: I tried it once but I got a bunch of trail dirt stuck in my teeth.

Mouse
01-14-2005, 00:22
A thruhike is no time for developing dental problems and eating every hour or so probably aggravates things. So I brushed and flossed every night.

I used a pea-sized bit of toothpaste and swallowed it after. That way I could brush in my sleepingbag in the coldest shelter without having to get up and spit. Eating that much should not hurt and the bit of flouride once a day probably made up for not drinking flouridated water.

Panama Red
01-14-2005, 09:58
brush em every day if i cant get a shower every day im at least brushing my teeth

DeniseL
01-15-2005, 22:35
I was very hygene conscious while hiking last year. I used copious amounts of hand-sanitizer (after *every* privy visit, before eating, etc), and I used baby wipes or moist towelettes to clean my whole body every night.

I brushed my teeth daily, but still had problems. Somewhere in the Smokies I developed an infection above a tooth that had been a problem in the past (root canal, etc). I jumped ahead from Hot Springs to Erwin and Miss Janet recommended a hiker-friendly dentist. He (the dentist) said it was only a 'soft tissue infection' and put me on antibiotics and sent me on my way (and only charged me $25. Awesome!). Turns out it wasn't a soft tissue infection, it was an abcess. The antibiotics cleared it up for a while, but since then I've had two more rounds of antibiotics, another root canal, and finally had to have the tooth pulled in September. Luckily its a back tooth that's not visible.

I guess what I'm saying is, definitely take care of your health and hygene while hiking, but be prepared for something to go wrong anyway.

Streamweaver
01-19-2005, 13:02
Infections from an impacted wisdom tooth caused my spleen to swell,about 80% hearing loss and infected my heart(had valve replacement surgery),just imagine that happening way out in the sticks!!! Take care of your teefers!! Streamweaver