# Can carrots and celery be used as an alternative to brushing teeth? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 15, 2005, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-carrots-and-celery-be-used-as-an-alternative-to-brushing-teeth/303972 "2005-05-15T22:07:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![hauss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5fc32e/32.png) [@hauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hauss)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2005, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-carrots-and-celery-be-used-as-an-alternative-to-brushing-teeth/303972/1 "2005-05-15T22:07:32Z")
It sure feels good in my mouth after eating these. And I would rather not use all these unnatural pastes to cleanse my teeth when I don’t even have a huge problem with dirty teeth in the first place (don’t eat sugar, ect.). I will still always floss though. ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2005, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-carrots-and-celery-be-used-as-an-alternative-to-brushing-teeth/303972/2 "2005-05-15T23:23:19Z")
They lack flouride, which I’ve been led to believe is very important. And a lot of those “unatural pastes” kill bacteria as well, which is really important. For something more natural, check out [Toms of Maine](http://www.tomsofmaine.com/toms/product.asp?dept_id=400&pf_id=TP-FL) ---
**Author:** ![hauss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5fc32e/32.png) [@hauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hauss)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2005, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-carrots-and-celery-be-used-as-an-alternative-to-brushing-teeth/303972/3 "2005-05-15T23:29:59Z")
I currently use Tom’s. What is that feeling in my mouth after I eat those two veggies? I have heard that a very close relative of those veggies are very poisonous, is this true? I feel like nature is trying to tell us something with that tingling… oh but that is absurd! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2005, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-carrots-and-celery-be-used-as-an-alternative-to-brushing-teeth/303972/4 "2005-05-16T00:38:10Z")
Celery is mostly water with a little bit of fiber. Carrots are mostly water with more fiber, along with a few nutrients. Nothing about them has any value for tooth cleansing. If you’re eating carrots, then you’re eating sugar. All fruits and many vegetables have some variation of sugar in them. So do hundreds of other foods. And sugar is not the only food that can hurt teeth, nor can teeth only be hurt by foods. The bacteria every one of eats all the time inadvertently is an even better reason to brush one’s teeth. You can find poisonous relatives of most fruits and vegetables. So what? If you don’t eat them, then they will make totally no difference to your life. If even baking soda toothpaste really offends you, try plain baking soda. I’m also worried about the tingling you like. Some baking soda toothpastes (I don’t know about Tom’s) adding peroxide to create a tingling feeling. This is purely psychological to make you feel like your teeth are getting cleaner, but has no actual value. Probably no actual harm, either, but tingling and cleansing are two different things. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2005, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-carrots-and-celery-be-used-as-an-alternative-to-brushing-teeth/303972/5 "2005-05-16T01:03:54Z")
> [@hauss](#): > > I have heard that a very close relative of those veggies are very poisonous, is this true? Some wild relatives of celery are poisonous; both carrots and celery (and parsnips, and parsley, and coriander, and fennel etc.) belong to the family _umbellifereae_, of which hemlock is a member (confusingly, hemlock is also the common name of a coniferous tree), But that’s hardly significant, as many vegetables happen to have poisonous wild relatives - notably those in the family _solanaceae_ (potatoes, tomatoes, capsicums), which also contains deadly nightshade and a whole host of other nasties. ---
**Author:** ![Rhubarb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/59ef9b/32.png) [@Rhubarb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhubarb)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2005, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-carrots-and-celery-be-used-as-an-alternative-to-brushing-teeth/303972/6 "2005-05-16T05:03:37Z")
Why would you want to avoid brushing your teeth? This one simple innovation is what has allowed people to keep their teeth beyond the age of 30. The mechanical action of the toothbrush removes particles of food stuck between your teeth. If not removed these bits of food cause extreme bad breath, feed bacteria that cause tooth decay, and can lead to abcesses. Untreated abcesses can lead to loss of the tooth, infection of the mandible, leading to sepsis and death. If you saw the movie “Castaway”, there is a scene where Tom Hanks removes an abcessed tooth with a large rock and an iceskate. :eek: :eek: :eek: As far as toothpaste, unless you are using a super-whitening, tartar control, anti-bacterial type toothpaste, there isn’t much artificial in there. The fluoride content is low, and as long as you don’t swallow your toothpaste, not significant except to prevent cavities. Fluoride is not unnatural. It is added to toothpaste and drinking water because it was discovered that children in areas with naturally occuring sources of fluoride in the drinking water had the lowest instances of tooth decay. The only thing I know of that you could “eat” to help prevent cavities is chewing gum. When chewed for at least 20 minutes, chewing gum helps clean your teeth. Partly through the “stickiness” of the gum pulling food out from between the teeth, but largely through saliva production triggered by the chewing motion. Saliva helps dissolve and wash away food particles. Of course, using ALL of the methods gives you the greatest benefit. Also, don’t forget to floss :D. ---
**Author:** ![antechinus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@antechinus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antechinus)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2005, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-carrots-and-celery-be-used-as-an-alternative-to-brushing-teeth/303972/7 "2005-05-16T07:17:56Z")
Hey speaking of Rhubarb. Rhubarb leaves are toxic - they contain oxalic acid - and thats… like… poisonous man. And Rhubarb stalks are shaped like celery but I wouldn’t brush my teeth with them… rhubarb…rhubarb…rhubarb… ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2005, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-carrots-and-celery-be-used-as-an-alternative-to-brushing-teeth/303972/8 "2005-05-16T09:25:33Z")
On a related topic, how effective is the “chewing on a stick” method. In different documentaries I’ve seen about aid organizations in third world countries, the aid workers teach the locals to chew on the end of a stick until it starts to tear apart and become “brush”-like. They are then instructed to brush their teeth with the chewed end of the stick. Does this help? **hauss** , does it sound appealing? ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2005, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-carrots-and-celery-be-used-as-an-alternative-to-brushing-teeth/303972/9 "2005-05-16T10:36:00Z")
“Natural” is nice for some things. Eating less processed foods is a good choice, for instance. Medicine and dentistry is not one of those topics where natural is better than modern. Your average caveman ate nothing but raw/organic/natural/unprocessed food got tons of exercise and died at the age of 30 because of bad medicine and dentistry. Don’t try to be too much like him. Use a proper toothpaste. If you do not drink fluoridated water, use a toothpaste with fluoride. The point is to have healthy teeth, and going too natural is only get you a mouth full of rotten teeth. Lots of vegetables are “related” to poisonous plants, I think the tomato and potato are both related to nightshade. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2005, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-carrots-and-celery-be-used-as-an-alternative-to-brushing-teeth/303972/10 "2005-05-16T14:49:49Z")
> [@bienville](#): > > On a related topic, how effective is the “chewing on a stick” method. Veterinary tangent: A friend who specializes in the field of veterinary dentistry (root canals, crowns, etc) went to Scotland to visit his birthplace. He was shocked by how healthy the local dog’s mouths appeared. It is a poor village. They are very utilitarian, and waste little. The dog’s treats were primarily bull’s penises. As the dog chews on the dried bull’s penis, the fibrous tissue acts like a toothbrush/floss all in one. Marketing nightmare, however. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-carrots-and-celery-be-used-as-an-alternative-to-brushing-teeth/303972/11 "2005-05-17T10:01:26Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > Lots of vegetables are “related” to poisonous plants, I think the tomato and potato are both related to nightshade. Not only are they related, their leaves and stems contain the same poison, which is why you shouldn’t eat green potatoes and no one uses tomato leaves in salad. Look, if you have issues with toothpaste just brush with water - the mechanical action of the brush will loosen and help remove food particles. And yes, the chewed stick method can work for the same reason. In India, the neem tree in particular is favored for this - apparently some of the juices generated by the chewing help in cleaning and freshening the breath. Before toothbrushes, hygenically inclined people in the West used rags to clean their teeth, which wasn’t ideal but, again, helped. And _hauss_ - with the amount of oranges your masticating on a daily basis (as you say in another thread) you _are_ exposing your teeth to a significant amount of sugar. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-carrots-and-celery-be-used-as-an-alternative-to-brushing-teeth/303972/12 "2005-05-17T10:25:40Z")
“Mmmmmm…try PIZZLE! 20,000 Scottish dogs can’t be wrong! Nutritious, Delicious, and Good for your Teeth! PIZZLE: It’s the other dark meat.” How was that? ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-carrots-and-celery-be-used-as-an-alternative-to-brushing-teeth/303972/13 "2005-05-17T12:12:58Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Look, if you have issues with toothpaste just brush with water - the mechanical action of the brush will loosen and help remove food particles. It should be repeated, though, that this will _not_ be as effective as using toothpaste. There are mechanical abrasives that help rub the crud off your teeth, detergents that get them cleaner still, and of course fluoride, all of which will improve your dental health. Plus, even if **hauss** weren’t eating a lot of sugar (which, as mentioned, he is) complex carbohydrates are similarly damaging to the teeth, if not moreso. They’re perfectly good bacteria food, and oftentimes they’ll cling even better to the teeth. You’re risking your dental health if you don’t brush your teeth with toothpaste. If you’re one of those people who axiomatically assumes that “natural” things are better, then buy an all-natural toothpaste. Whatever benefits you accrue from lowered exposure to artificial chemicals will be more than offset by the effects on your teeth of not brushing. (And poor dental health has [systemic effects](http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3019173): you’re increasing your risk of heart disease if you don’t care for your teeth, due to the presence of inflammation.) Brush your teeth. Your health is seriously compromised if you don’t brush your teeth properly. Check out the natural toothpastes - I like Tom’s of Maine myself. It’d be stupid to suffer a heart attack because you decided to eat celery rather than taking care of your teeth. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-carrots-and-celery-be-used-as-an-alternative-to-brushing-teeth/303972/14 "2005-06-02T16:10:37Z")
> [@vetbridge](#): > > Veterinary tangent: > > A friend who specializes in the field of veterinary dentistry (root canals, crowns, etc) went to Scotland to visit his birthplace. He was shocked by how healthy the local dog’s mouths appeared. > > It is a poor village. They are very utilitarian, and waste little. The dog’s treats were primarily bull’s penises. As the dog chews on the dried bull’s penis, the fibrous tissue acts like a toothbrush/floss all in one. > > Marketing nightmare, however. 😃 Nope! In metro Detroit, we get “Bull Wrinkles” for our dog. Just give it a cutesy name with cute packaging and owners would snap them up. My dog loves them, by the way. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-carrots-and-celery-be-used-as-an-alternative-to-brushing-teeth/303972/15 "2005-06-02T18:45:14Z")
> [@Exapno Mapcase](#): > > Some baking soda toothpastes (I don’t know about Tom’s) adding peroxide to create a tingling feeling. This is purely psychological to make you feel like your teeth are getting cleaner, but has no actual value. You don’t smoke or drink coffee, do you? 😃 [/periodically uses plain baking soda and peroxide to remove stains and generally brighten the grill.] ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-carrots-and-celery-be-used-as-an-alternative-to-brushing-teeth/303972/16 "2005-06-02T19:03:11Z")
> [@zweisamkeit](#): > > Nope! In metro Detroit, we get “Bull Wrinkles” for our dog. Just give it a cutesy name with cute packaging and owners would snap them up. > > My dog loves them, by the way. wow. Does the packaging say, “contents bull penis” or other words to that effect? ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-carrots-and-celery-be-used-as-an-alternative-to-brushing-teeth/303972/17 "2005-06-02T19:12:11Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Not only are they related, their leaves and stems contain the same poison, which is why you shouldn’t eat green potatoes and no one uses tomato leaves in salad. Green potatoes and tomato leaves contain oxalic acid; nightshade is toxic because of atropine. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-carrots-and-celery-be-used-as-an-alternative-to-brushing-teeth/303972/18 "2005-06-02T22:46:03Z")
> [@vetbridge](#): > > wow. Does the packaging say, “contents bull penis” or other words to that effect? Yep. Of course, I think it’s in teeny, tiny letters. 😉[This website](http://www.petexpertise.com/item--Bully-Sticks-Pizzles-Bull-Wrinkles--bully.html) shows some details. We don’t buy them too often because they’re a bit pricey, but MAN my dog loves them. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-carrots-and-celery-be-used-as-an-alternative-to-brushing-teeth/303972/19 "2005-06-02T23:24:13Z")
> [@vetbridge](#): > > Veterinary tangent: > > A friend who specializes in the field of veterinary dentistry (root canals, crowns, etc) went to Scotland to visit his birthplace. He was shocked by how healthy the local dog’s mouths appeared. > > It is a poor village. They are very utilitarian, and waste little. The dog’s treats were primarily bull’s penises. As the dog chews on the dried bull’s penis, the fibrous tissue acts like a toothbrush/floss all in one. > > Marketing nightmare, however. 😃 Oh, I’d call that a cock and bull story, really. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-carrots-and-celery-be-used-as-an-alternative-to-brushing-teeth/303972/20 "2005-06-02T23:43:18Z")
> [@Excalibre](#): > > Green potatoes and tomato leaves contain oxalic acid; nightshade is toxic because of atropine. Are you sure about the oxalic acid thing - I know that’s present in rhubarb and sorrel, but I thought potato greens were toxic because of solanine. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-carrots-and-celery-be-used-as-an-alternative-to-brushing-teeth/303972.md?page=2)