What did people do before toothpastes and toothbrushes came into being? Go around with bad breath?
South asians had a simple solution - they used twigs of the neem tree as brushes or crushed a bunch of leaves to form a "tooth-paste". No wonder then that the neem is so widespread in India. It has long been used in Ayurvedic medicine to treat a host of ailments and is thought to have astringent, antibacterial, antifungal, antiseptic and anti-imflammatory properties. What more do you need for healthy teeth and strong gums?!
The aroma of the leaves that spreads with the wind is said to have a therapeutic effect, which is another reason why this tree was widely planted all over the region.
The leaves are now used as a natural pesticide.
Here are some more pictures of the neem:
