My thoughts lately have turned to effectively cleaning my toothbrush in the field. At home toothpaste is easy enough to get out with running hot water. In the woods, not so easy, at least for me. I've not fond of rubbing my sometimes less than clean hands on the bristles while pouring water to help clean the bristles.

The solution I've come up with is to use essential oils to clean my teeth. I started brushing with essential oils as a treatment for bleeding gums (it worked for me). Originally I purchased a premixed blend of essential oils but now find it much less expensive and just as effective to purchase essential oils myself and mix my own. Google can get you all kind of recipes. I use 1/3 peppermint oil, 1/3 spearmint oil, 1/3 almond oil, doesn't have to be precise. One only needs a couple of drops to brush one's teeth. Essential oils leave no visible residue like toothpaste can although rinsing the toothbrush with water is still needed for any food particles or whatever came off the teeth. Then the essential oils can be re-applied to the brush to sanitize it. I even found a brush head cover online that uses essential oils to keep the brush head sanitary. (I am not affiliated with the product and have only seen it online.) If one feels the need to use fluoride there are mouthwashes with fluoride one can use.

I've read articles and even asked the hygienist cleaning my teeth about brushing and it seems the brushing is what gets the teeth clean. Toothpaste is mostly marketing.

Thoughts?