How To Clean Your Teeth Without Brushing Them

We've all been there; forgetting our toothbrush on a weekend away, when staying at your significant other's house, or just needing to clean your teeth after a meal doused in garlic, onions or both. But what to do when your toothbrush is costing up to your toothpaste at home, whilst you're braving the outside world? We've got the answers, though it is worth noting that these tips aren't a long term substitute for a good ol' brush & paste twice a day.

Water

Perhaps the quickest and easiest way to clean your mouth is to pour yourself a glass of water, take a sip and swill it around your mouth. This should loosen up any surface dirt on your teeth, and when you spit it out (hopefully into a sink), it should take the plaque with it.

Paper Towel

If you need something a little more hard hitting than water swilling, but have limited resources, simply wrapping a paper towel around your finger and using it as a brush can work wonders. Of course, this isn't as effective as using a toothbrush, but it can lift enough plaque from the surface of your teeth to tide you over until you're reunited with your brush and paste.

Baking Soda

This is one from the archives, because before toothpaste, baking soda was the way to go. So how to use it now? Mix with a little water and then rub on your teeth! Simple as that. Just make sure you don't forget to rinse, and try not to swallow. Baking soda also has whitening properties, so your pearly whites can stay that way with this technique!

Flossing

Whilst flossing should already be part of your daily dental routine, in the absence of a toothbrush and paste, this is a great way to remove food debris or plaque from in-between your teeth. It might be worth swilling water around your mouth after though, to make sure there's nothing left behind.

Oil-Pulling

This is an old method that has recently regained popularity in the beauty world.

If you haven't heard of this recent trend, Oil-Pulling is where you place a teaspoon of oil (sesame and coconut are said to be the best, but you can also use olive or sunflower oil) into your mouth and swill it around. This is said to lift toxins from your mouth, and amongst many health benefits, it will clean your teeth and can even whiten them at the same time!