Fixing Teeth, Ancient Healing/Modern technology - Hydroxyapatite Boswellia Toothpaste - 5000 years of Dental Health in the Making.

The frankincense tree played a foundational role in the creation of our civilization

Whispers of an ancient tree have echoed through the corridors of time, its secrets veiled in the mists of forgotten rituals and guarded by the elite of antiquity. They knew about the tree—the resilient Boswellia, bleeding golden tears of resin in the harsh deserts. They knew of the power of concentrated sunlight.

Pharaohs, queens, and magi held its power close, weaving it into their lives as medicine, incense, and more. We know they knew, piecing together the fragments from tombs and texts. But do you know about the tree? Prepare to uncover the hidden legacy of frankincense, a substance that has healed mouths, minds, and bodies for millennia—secrets now revealed in the light of modern science and innovation.

Archaeological hints suggest resin use in the Neolithic era, perhaps as early as 10,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent, where early humans appear to have chewed tree saps for rudimentary oral hygiene or discovered their soothing properties amid campfires. While direct evidence for frankincense is scarce pre-3000 BCE, the resin's kin—other aromatic gums—appear in Paleolithic sites, hinting at a deep anthropological bond with these natural balms.

One of our first (rather interesting accounts) from a "westerner" comes from the greek historian, Herodotus.

Herodotus was entranced by the frankincense tree

"There are in that land (which I shall not name for fear of the

gods) certain trees which bear a fruit like a pine cone, but

with this strange difference, that on the top of the cone grow

leaves. And in these leaves winged creathress are generated,

which fly forth at certain seasons and light upon the trees; and

these are not birds, but living creatures with a sting in their

tail, which darts out and inflicts a wound both painful and

deadly. The smoke of storax, however, drives them away."

I'm not entirely certain on the accuracy of the translation, and while some believe he was talking about dragons, it's entirely possible he was talking about bumblebees... we don't know. But there's more interesting stories about how this amazing plant created a thread of connection between cultures... and eventually real, physical roads. Frankincense was a major character in the foundation of our society as we know it.

Frankincense and the beginning of the Common Era

By 3000 BCE, frankincense ignited the Incense Road, a caravan lifeline snaking through deserts, powered by the domestication of camels around 1500–1200 BCE. This trade route, peaking between 300 BCE and 200 CE, funneled thousands of tons northward to empires hungry for its scent. In Mesopotamia, it perfumed temples; in China, it arrived via the Silk Road as a luxury for the elite. But it was in ancient Egypt where frankincense shone brightest. Queen Hatshepsut, the formidable pharaoh of the 15th century BCE, dispatched a grand expedition to the Land of Punt (likely modern-day Somalia or Eritrea) to procure the precious "trees of incense."

Deir el-Bahari Temple - Queen Hapshepsut was a big deal.

Her temple at Deir el-Bahari immortalizes the voyage in vivid reliefs: ships laden with frankincense saplings, resins, and exotic goods, a testament to its divine status.

Egyptians chewed the resin to perfume their breath, blended it into kyphi—a sacred incense of resins, spices, wine, and raisins—for rituals, medicine, and even mummification, where it preserved bodies and souls for eternity.

Famous figures wove frankincense into their legacies. The Queen of Sheba, the enigmatic ruler of a frankincense-rich kingdom, controlled the trade routes, her caravans a symbol of opulence that reportedly dazzled King Solomon. Alexander the Great, as a boy, scattered handfuls on altars, later shipping crates to his tutor after conquering Gaza—though his Arabian campaigns faltered against the desert's defenses.

The Egyptians were quite fond of Frankincense, so much so they sent an army to go collect it.

Nero, in a fantastic display of excess, once burned a years harvest of frankincense at his wifes funeral

In Rome, Emperor Nero burned a year's harvest at his wife's funeral, epitomizing excess. And in biblical lore, the Magi presented frankincense to the infant Jesus, symbolizing divinity alongside gold's kingship and myrrh's foreshadowing of death. Cleopatra, ever the seductress, likely incorporated it into her perfumes and breath-freshening chews, drawing on Egyptian traditions where women masticated the gum to banish odors.

In Oman and Yemen, locals have long chewed the resin for its anti-inflammatory punch, soothing gums, fighting bacteria, and freshening breath. Ancient Persians treated wounds and ulcers with it; Greeks and Romans hailed its therapeutic aroma. Legends abound: It cleansed evil spirits, enhanced dreams, and even boosted fertility. In traditional Chinese medicine, it promoted blood flow and eased pain; in Ayurveda, it battled arthritis and asthma.

Frankincense in Modernity

Yet, these age-old intuitions find stunning validation in modern science. Peer-reviewed studies reveal frankincense essential oil as a powerhouse: anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antimicrobial, and even anxiolytic. Its boswellic acids inhibit enzymes like 5-lipoxygenase, quelling inflammation in arthritis, asthma, and colitis.

For oral health, it

• combats pathogens

• reduces plaque

• soothes gingivitis

Majira lab worker testing results on synthetic teeth

It appears the ancient chews are backed by lab data showing efficacy against oral bacteria. Strikingly, research highlights its anti-cancer potential. Extracts suppress melanoma by downregulating ERK1/2 signaling, inhibit breast cancer stem cells, and curb hepatocellular carcinoma via epidermal growth factor pathways. A clinical trial showed Boswellia reducing cerebral edema in brain tumor patients, with anti-proliferative effects on various cancers. While ancients sensed its healing aura through rituals and folklore, today's science dissects its molecules—boswellic acids inducing apoptosis and blocking tumor growth—bridging myth to medicine.

Hydroxyapatite Toothpaste - another Eastern Revolution

This fusion of past and present culminates in innovations like hydroxyapatite, a biomaterial mimicking tooth enamel discovered in Japan in the 1970s by Sangi Co. Ltd. Inspired by NASA's semiconductor research, they synthesized nano-hydroxyapatite in 1978, launching the first remineralizing toothpaste approved in 1993. It repairs microscopic enamel defects, prevents cavities, and whitens naturally— a modern echo of ancient oral remedies.

Enter Majira Therapeutic Toothpaste, a groundbreaking blend that marries frankincense's timeless wisdom with hydroxyapatite's tech savvy. This all-natural, fluoride-free formula boasts 10% nano-hydroxyapatite for enamel repair, alongside Boswellia sacra frankincense for anti-inflammatory gum care, high boswellic acid serum for bacterial defense, and activated charcoal for whitening. No other toothpaste combines these—frankincense's ancient oral legacy with hydroxyapatite's innovative remineralization—in a single, holistic product. It not only freshens breath and strengthens teeth but optimizes oral meridians, supporting systemic health like heart vitality by curbing infections.

Drawing from history's chews and legends, Majira innovates for the future, proving that the past's essences can heal tomorrow's woes—one brush at a time.

Majira Therapeutic Toothpaste

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