There were many plants that were related to today's horsetail. When you chew horsetail (Herba Equiseti, also known as cattail), it grinds between your teeth. This is due to the silica crystals contained in these plants. This grinds down the teeth. Dentistry speaks of the abrasive potential of such substances. They ground down the teeth of dinosaurs. Certain dinosaur species therefore even dispensed with teeth and chewed the plant material on the 'rims' or they had grinding stones in their stomachs, like chickens.

Grinding instead of polishing

Toothpastes also abrade teeth. I was shocked when I googled "abrasive value of toothpastes" and found lists on various portals with the so-called RDA value (Relative Dentin Abrasion) of common toothpastes. Mine, which is also often presented in schools by tooth fairies, had such a high value that I should actually be surprised that I still have teeth, probably because I brush my teeth less frequently and for less time than the doctrine advocates. Why do toothpastes contain abrasives at all? They are supposed to remove deposits and discolouration. The teeth are polished. This doesn't do much to the enamel, the hardest substance a person produces, but it does to the soft dentine underneath, which is visible on exposed tooth necks. A high abrasive value on the RDA table is 80. Toothpastes with a value of 50 and less are considered gentle. Our product has an RDA value of 45.

Caries: cloves or fluorine?

Neither the ancient Chinese nor my grandmother were spared dental problems. Both recommended stuffing cloves into terribly painful cavities as they have an anaesthetic effect. Dentists, on the other hand, recommend fluoride toothpastes.

Fluorine vs. fluorine

The community is already split into two camps before the discussion about which fluorine might make sense: Fluorine yes or no? You certainly belong to one party or the other. But dear No group, read on, because fluorine is not just fluorine, the topic is more interesting than you might think: fluorine-containing drugs have been available for decades to treat osteoporosis, but it has been observed that although they make bones stronger, they unfortunately make them more brittle because they are less elastic and more brittle.

One of the reasons for this is that, put simply, fluorine compounds are stored in the bones instead of calcium compounds. Certain fluorine compounds, such as sodium fluoride, virtually displace calcium. But not every fluorine compound does this. In dentistry, sodium fluoride is used in the majority of toothpastes; a few, including our supplier, use sodium fluorophosphate, which does not compete with calcium.

Bones contain about 50% calcium phosphate, the dentin 70% and the enamel even 97%! Tooth enamel is the hardest material that the human body is capable of forming, but even it is not immune to damage: acids contained in our food can attack it. Calcium phosphate is also known as hydroxyapatite and has the chemical formula Ca5[OH|(PO4)3].

Fluorine occurs naturally in many places in nature in many forms, such as in drinking water and in food, i.e. both in plants (see e.g. toothpicks below) and in shellfish and fish. Fluorine compounds, including sodium fluoride, are also found in green tea, oolong tea and black tea, but in varying amounts depending on the type of cultivation and processing, on average around 0.3 mg of fluoride per gram of green tea leaves. Not all of these tea leaves pass into the tea water when you prepare a tea. This is not the case with preparations in which ground tea leaves are used, e.g. matcha tea. Sodium fluorophosphate is also found in nature.

Some countries still fluoridate their drinking water today. In Switzerland, table salt is usually sold not only iodised, but also fluoridated. Potassium iodide or sodium iodide is used for this purpose.

It is therefore an illusion to be able to live fluorine- or fluoride-free. It would be going too far to go into the physiological or, what might interest you more, the pathophysiological effects of the many fluorine compounds individually. In short: too much fluorine or fluoride is unhealthy, but with toothpastes containing fluoride you will not exceed harmful amounts unless you swallow large quantities.

Sodium fluorophosphate in toothpaste is well tolerated. It acts as a protective shield against caries and even repairs incipient caries damage. It also inhibits the growth and metabolism of dental plaque bacteria.

Children and fluorine or fluorides

Should children take fluoride-containing medicines or toothpastes and if so, from what age? A matter of faith? Until some time ago, paediatricians were against the use of fluoride-containing products in young children, but dentists were in favour. However, a consensus seems to have emerged in these specialist societies, which consists of the application of a very low dose, which is recommended even from birth, i.e. even before the eruption of teeth. We are talking here about the specialist societies trained in conventional medicine. Complementary medicine sees things differently in some cases, especially homeopathy and its anthroposophical orientation.

Gums are the key to healthy teeth!

Caries and fluorine or not - the key to strong teeth in the long term is the gums! Healthy gums guarantee healthy teeth. And this is where TCM comes into play. If the gums recede, the soft (dentin!) tooth necks are exposed. We are talking about periodontitis and its inflammatory form periodontitis, which manifests itself in bleeding gums. Eventually, the teeth no longer find enough support in the bone, become loose and fall out and now it becomes expensive: implants, bone augmentation or then third teeth 😬.

Tense and shiny gums are alarm signals that call for help. Healthy gums are a beautiful pink colour, the surface is soft and gently undulating.

According to TCM, several mechanisms deserve attention in this situation:

Teeth belong to the functional circuit of the kidney, the gums to that of the stomach, as the stomach meridian runs through the gums. The spleen is responsible for keeping the blood flowing in the vessels. Conversely, bad teeth can weaken the kidneys and chronic bleeding gums can damage the stomach and ultimately also the spleen. A poor condition of the oral cavity offers bacteria the opportunity to enter the body in this way and any organ can be jeopardised, e.g. the heart or the heart valves. A leak, as represented by bleeding gums, indicates a weak spleen. TCM emphasises the importance of a holistic view of oral health in the context of the overall energetic balance in the body.

Yunnan Baiyao: The dead live longer!

You know the story: During the Vietnam War, US soldiers were amazed that the enemy Viet Cong soldiers, no sooner had they been shot in battle, got up again and continued fighting. They had the miracle cure Yunnan Baiyao, which consisted of a secret herbal mixture that stopped bleeding in no time at all.

The main ingredient of Yunnan Baiyao is San Qi = Tian Qi = Notoginseng = Pseudoginseng.

San Qi has the unique property of stopping bleeding without causing haemostasis.

The properties of San Qi can be found in the relevant TCM textbooks. Here is the entry at www.compleweb.ch in the compendium:

KNOWMORE - THE toothpaste for your teeth and gums

KNOWMORE is a toothpaste based on Yunnan Baiyao or San Qi (notoginseng), developed in Switzerland with a great deal of passion. A concentrated notoginseng extract is the active principle of this unique toothpaste. The name? Perhaps a play on words: K-No(w)more = caries nomore. Or know-more: we know better how to do dental (meat) care well.

A pea-sized amount of KNOWMORE twice a day is enough to take care of your teeth. If you already have gum problems, you can also massage some KNOWMORE toothpaste into your gums with your finger.

Anti-ageing with Knowmore

Panax notoginseng has a natural regenerative anti-ageing effect on the gums. This effect is enhanced by other ingredients such as hydroxyapatite (calcium phosphate) and sodium fluorophospate to protect the enamel and the tooth bone and to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria that attack them.

A lot - less - a little

For cosmetics, manufacturers must state the composition on the packaging in descending order of the proportional quantities. A product is often advertised with a substance that is currently on everyone's lips. However, if this substance only appears towards the end of the list, meaning that there is only a small amount of it in the highly acclaimed product, you know that it is more likely to be a snake catcher than a product with outstanding effects. In KNOWMORE, the effective principle, namely notoginseng extract, is high up in the list of ingredients.

Other interesting ingredients are

• Peppermint and field mint oil
• Sage oil from Salvia officinalis
• Echinacea extract

Together with the sage, the mint produces a pleasantly rounded flavour. Echinacea strengthens sensitive gums and also cleans gently.

At KNOWMORE, you will search in vain for unfavourable or even undesirable substances: Neither triclosan nor parabens (hormone-active preservatives) nor SLS = sodium lauryl sulphate (chemical foaming agent that dries out and irritates the gums), nor any kind of micro- or nanoplastics are to be found.

With KNOWMORE, bleeding gums stop after a short time and the tissue visibly recovers, giving tooth roots support. Caries is reduced and the teeth remineralise.

Accessories

Toothpaste is all well and good, but that's not the end of the story. It was also important to the producers of KNOWMORE to consciously choose the packaging: recyclable EVOH (ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer) plastic is used, which is produced in Switzerland. EVOH forms an oxygen barrier that protects the ingredients of the toothpaste from decomposition.

Ready? No, not yet: we still have to discuss the toothbrush :

The blue women in the Sahara and their toothbrushes

When we were 20 years old and travelling through the Sahara, we came across the people of the blue women. I learnt that they were Tuareg. Our group, 2 men and 2 women, was split up. We 2 men had to go into the women's tent. I realised that the women were in charge here. Wikipedia confirmed this to me 50 years later:

We had no idea what to expect. Beautiful and rather voluptuous women, who not only wore blue dresses dyed with indigo, but somehow also had a bluish skin colour, flattened themselves on soft cushions and looked at the two exotic Westerners from top to bottom and, as we could see from their facial expressions, gestures, laughter and cheerful chatter, took pleasure in our appearance and we were served tea. They didn't speak or understand any language we were familiar with. I remember that some of these women were constantly busy polishing their teeth with sticks. I also saw this later in Senegal and elsewhere in Africa with the market women sitting behind their stalls waiting for customers. Today I know that the small pieces of wood come from the toothbrush tree (Salvadora persica). They contain tiny calcium sulphate crystals, i.e. gypsum (TCM: Shi Gao) and also silicon, and they have a slightly abrasive effect. These stems are also said to contain fluorine and, according to various sources including Wikipedia, many other substances that are useful for the teeth and gums.

The vegan toothbrush

A toothbrush that also produces no microplastics: it has a handle made from bamboo and the bristles are made from the castor bean plant. Such toothbrushes made from natural materials are now on sale in many places. They fit in well with the philosophy of natural toothpaste.

KNOWMORE - Factsheet

KNOWMORE contains San Qi (Panax Notoginseng), the main ingredient of the legendary Yunnan Baiyao. San Qi promotes blood circulation in the tissue and repairs leaking blood vessels. A cascade of positive effects follows: Anti-inflammatory, analgesic, promotes wound healing, stimulates cell growth in the wound area, has an antibiotic and antiviral effect.

KNOWMORE also contains calcium phosphate, the main component of bone and tooth enamel.

Unlike most toothpastes,KNOWMORE does not contain fluorine in the form of sodium fluoride, but sodium fluorophosphate. Sodium fluoride competes to a certain extent with calcium. This makes bones harder but more brittle.

KNOWMORE with anti-ageing effect thanks to Panax Notogoinseng, hydroxyapatite and sodium fluorophosphate.

KNOWMORE is free from:

Microplastics

Triclosan (hormone-active preservative)

SLS (sodium lauryl sulphate = chemical foaming agent that dries out and irritates the gums)

Parabens (suspected of having hormone-active and carcinogenic effects)

KNOWMORE has an abrasive value (RDA) of 45 and is therefore in a low range. Other toothpastes grind down the teeth unnecessarily, which is particularly fatal on exposed tooth necks.

KNOWMORE contains natural peppermint flavouring for fresh breath.

KNOWMORE fulfils the requirements of the EU Cosmetics Regulation.

KNOWMORE is used for brushing teeth with a toothbrush. In addition, it is recommended to massage a little KNOWMORE into the gums with your finger afterwards and then not to rinse your mouth.

KNOWMORE is 100% made in Switzerland with a lot of passion.

KNOWMORE packaging: The tube and lid are made of environmentally friendly material.

KNOWMORE toothpasteis worth its price because it saves you money at the dentist.

KNOWMORE cannot be compared with any other toothpaste.

KNOWMORE: The name? Perhaps a play on words: K-No(w)more = caries no more. Or Know-more: we know better how to do dental care well.

KNOWMORE expensive? - That depends!

Using KNOWMORE costs you one capsule of Nespresso per day or ten times less than if you drink a coffee out. You decide whether this is worth it to you.

A tube of KNOWMORE (85 ml) lasts up to 8 weeks and costs CHF 28.50, a visit to the dental hygienist soon costs ten times more and we don't even want to talk about the dentist.