toothpaste

[dehight]

I've got my first reenactment this weekend...I was wondering what you guys use for toothpaste...I think I've heard of baking powder...is that what's period correct? Need to know before this weekend what is most authentic.

[Mint Julep]

Duane,

You can buy tooth powder at many Walgreens-type stores. Just find an appropriate container.

Chances are good a sutler will be present selling tooth powder in some sort of tin container.

[Silas]

Baking soda, not powder, is great for the teeth. Follow the brushing with a shot of vinegar or whiskey for the gums. Just don't immediately follow the baking soda with vinegar, or you'll look like a rabid dog. A brief wait of a minute or so is sufficient. No wait necessary when using whiskey.

Swallowing the baking soda with the vinegar is also good for digestion.

[dehight]

thank you...I wasn't sure if it was powder or soda...that cleared it up for me

[Rob Weaver]

Half and half baking powder and salt ground fine with a food processor is a great natural toothpaste. It is, however, hard on your teeth so I wouldn't recommend it for everyday use.

[Pvt Schnapps]

Honestly, it depends what kind of event you're going to and how authentic you want to feel in that context. At different events, I've done the following:

*Nothing.

*Morning whiskey rinse. For better or worse, I don't carry whiskey anymore.

*Flavored toothpicks.

*Small tin box containing smaller tin of tooth powder (home-made per period recipe of baking soda, salt, and sage or -- after I'd tried that -- a commercial prep from Whole Foods), plus a period toothbrush cut down to fit in the tin.

*Same box with a modern travel toothbrush and sample tube of toothpaste.

In all cases I have, tucked away somewhere, one of those nickel-sized disks of dental floss for excavating debris from one of my defective molars, should the need arise.

[Rachal]

I usually grind up a couple of altoids in the mix to help with the flavor. Probably not period, but it definitely helps and no one can tell by looking.

[Pvt Schnapps]

I usually grind up a couple of altoids in the mix to help with the flavor. Probably not period, but it definitely helps and no one can tell by looking.

Lord only knows what trace ingredients are there, now, but the Altoids brand has a lengthy pedigree, according to their own promotional literature:

"Altoids, the Original Celebrated Curiously Strong Mints, were first produced in England at the turn of the 19th century during the reign of King George III. Smith & Co. (est. 1780), the small London firm that developed the original "curiously strong" recipe, later became part of Callard & Bowser, a prestigious English confectioner founded in 1837.

"Altoids peppermints are specially formulated peppermint lozenges many times stronger than ordinary mints. Their curious strength comes from the generous use of real peppermint oil, as prescribed in the original recipe developed by Smith & Co. at the turn of the 19th century."

So I suspect what you do is as authentic as using any other kind of tooth powder.

[Elaine Kessinger]

For those wanting to get really, Really authentic, the following link is for china boxes that pass as period toothpaste "containers". Slap a repro label on and some masking tape around the edge to keep the lid secure...and voila... you'll be the envy of authentists everywhere. Here's the link: http://www.marylandchina.com/apps/product?id=664&categoryId=22&subCategoryId=34
there is also a larger version suitable for shaving powder an salves/ointments

[Bee]

but if you really wanted to be the envy of your pards... carry your toothpaste or shaving cream in this lovely container from the same vendor...
http://www.marylandchina.com/uploads/5351.jpg
Happy April Fools Day!
;-)
Elizabeth,
.
abonnetventure.etsy.com