Chewing stick (West African prickly ash / candle wood)

What is Chewing stick (West African prickly ash / candle wood)?

A chewing stick is a twig or root of Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides, a thorny West African tree. In Yoruba it is called orin ata, the "pepper chewing stick". You fray one end with your teeth and rub it over teeth and gums.

It is used most often for daily tooth cleaning and for toothache. The root and bark are also boiled into drinks for pain, fever and sickle cell disease.

Here is the honest verdict. As a brush, chewing sticks clean teeth about as well as a toothbrush in small studies. Long and respected use in tradition is not proof that a remedy works, and not proof that it is safe.

How does Chewing stick (West African prickly ash / candle wood) work?

Most of the tooth-cleaning effect is probably simple scrubbing. The frayed fibres wipe plaque off the tooth surface, much as bristles do.

In laboratory tests, root extracts slow bacteria linked to tooth decay and gum disease. Whether that happens inside a living mouth is not established.

The sharp, numbing taste comes from pungent plant chemicals. In animal and cell studies, extracts ease pain and swelling. These are lab findings, not proven effects in people.

For sickle cell disease, root extracts stop red blood cells from changing shape in test tubes. A few small human studies exist, but they are weak and not conclusive.

What forms does Chewing stick (West African prickly ash / candle wood) come in?

The usual form is the raw twig or root, sold in bundles in West African markets and shops.

Other forms you may meet:

Dried root or bark pieces, boiled into a drink at home.

Powdered root, sold loose, in sachets or in capsules.

Tooth powders and toothpastes that list the plant on the label.

In Burkina Faso a root-based medicine for sickle cell disease is registered and sold under the name FACA. It is a licensed product there, not a home preparation.

Where it comes from:

West African communities have used these twigs and roots for tooth care for centuries. The Yoruba name orin ata means "pepper chewing stick", for its hot taste.

Healers also boiled the root for toothache, fever, body pain and sickle cell disease. The plant appears in many West African herbal records and national pharmacopoeias.

From the 1970s, Nigerian researchers tested root extracts for anti-sickling action. That work later led to a registered sickle cell product in Burkina Faso.

What does Chewing stick (West African prickly ash / candle wood) help with?

• Daily tooth cleaning and plaque removal: This is the best-supported use. Small studies of chewing sticks show plaque removal close to that of a toothbrush when used with care. Most of that work covers chewing sticks in general, not this species alone.
• Toothache and sore gums: Tradition held that chewing the root numbs tooth pain. The hot, tingling taste does cause a short numb feeling. There is no good human trial showing it treats the cause of toothache, and dental infection needs a dentist.
• Gum inflammation (gingivitis): Extracts slow gum-disease bacteria in laboratory dishes. That does not prove they help gums in the mouth. Hard or rough brushing with a stick can wear gums back and make matters worse.
• Sickle cell disease: This is the most studied internal use and the most serious. Root extracts stop red cells from sickling in test tubes. Human studies are few, small and poorly controlled, so the benefit is unproven, and it must never replace prescribed care.
• Fever and malaria: Root decoctions were a common village treatment for fever. Extracts act against malaria parasites in lab tests and in some animal work. There is no trial showing it treats malaria in people, and untreated malaria can kill.
• General pain and swelling: Healers used the bark for body pain and joint pain. Animal studies suggest extracts ease pain and swelling. This has not been tested properly in humans.

What are the side effects of Chewing stick (West African prickly ash / candle wood)?

• Burning or tingling in the mouth
• Sore or bleeding gums
• Gums wearing back from the teeth over time
• Worn tooth enamel at the gum line
• Splinters or small cuts in the mouth
• Tooth staining
• Nausea, stomach pain or diarrhoea from swallowed root preparations
• Allergic rash, itching or swelling

Good to know:

Mouth effects are common and usually mild. Gum and enamel wear builds up slowly with rough use, and it does not reverse.

Swallowed root preparations carry more risk than brushing. The root holds strong alkaloids, and the long-term effects of drinking it have not been studied in people. Allergic reactions are rare but can be serious.

How much Chewing stick (West African prickly ash / candle wood) should you take?

• Recommended daily: Used as a brush, one stick is chewed soft and rubbed over the teeth, often once or twice a day. That is a description of common practice, not advice for you. For drinks, powders and capsules there is no agreed amount. Strength varies from batch to batch, and no safe dose has been set in people. If you buy a packaged product, the label dose is the only figure to go by. Check it with a doctor or pharmacist first, above all if you have sickle cell disease.
• Best time of day: Timing does not matter much. For tooth cleaning, people use it morning and evening, as with a toothbrush.
• With or without food: For tooth cleaning, use it after meals or at the times you would brush. Swallowed preparations are usually taken with food, which may lower stomach upset.
• Time to effect: Teeth feel cleaner at once, because the effect is scrubbing. Any change in gum health would take weeks, and good brushing matters more than the tool. For pain, fever or sickle cell disease, no time frame can be given. It may do nothing at all.
• How long to take it: As a tooth-cleaning twig, people use it daily for years. Dentists still advise regular check-ups, because sticks can wear gums and enamel over time. For swallowed root preparations, no safe length of use has been worked out. Long daily use of the root has not been studied for safety.