The verse describes teeth cleaning which follows after waking up, bowel movement and urination. Let's not forget that the verse was written some 2,000 year ago when the human life conditions were different. People did not have plastic teethbruhses and electric devices. However, the teeth cleaning as described in the verse is still being practiced in rural India. At the time the lavatories were outside of the village or people used to go to the woods. After defecationj, they cleaned their anus with water by left hand. Afterwards, one went to a water source (well, spring, river, creek etc.) where he snapped off a 20-30 centimetres long twig from a nearby tree, grinding it some 2 centimetres on one end with his grinder teeth so thet the flesh of the twig was removed and only fresh and soft fibres were left. He then cleaned his teeth with this end, while the juice from the twig served as a toothpaste. After cleaning his teeth he cut the twig in half along the grain with his canines and bent it, making a scraper to clean his tongue. The verse emphasises the properties of the trees with the tastes, saying that the twigs should be pungent, bitter or astringent or, ideally, having all the tastes. This is decisive and inspirational for the modern people: the dental hygiene devices should not be sweet but astringent instead. Such devices keep the gums holding fast to the teeth. Teeth cleaning is called dant dhavan, the wood twig is called dhantvan. The verse recommends cleaning teeth twice a day, in the morning and after meal. We have to understand that teeth are to be cleaned in the morning after waking up and for the second time always after meals.

Nowadays, many people suffer from tooth decay which is naturally connected to our internal physiology, because it is a part of the human tissues, as well as to the teeth maintenance. Within such maintenance, and ouly out of ignorance, people use such means and substances which lead to teeth decay instead of strengthening them. The human desire for white teeth leads to the use of aggressive acids which bleach the teeth, exposing the root of the tooth. This leads to the recession of the gums and the onset of parodontosis. People also use many chemicals that damage the tooth enamel. It is known that parodontosis disappears when one avoids all chemicals and uses the astringent bark of the bakul tree for gargling. This happens thanks to the astringent property of this natural product from the tree.