Dandasa for Teeth and Lips: Walnut Bark Uses, Stains, Verdict

Dandasa is dried walnut tree bark (akhrot ki chhaal), chewed or rubbed on the teeth and gums, and it leaves the lips and gums a deep rusty red that many women once wore as natural lip colour. It does clean a little and colour a lot, so this guide covers how dandasa is used, why it stains, what it can irritate and our honest verdict.

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What exactly is dandasa?

Dandasa is thin strips of bark from the walnut tree (Juglans regia), usually from the root or lower trunk, peeled, dried and sold in bundles at pansar shops in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kashmir and north India. The strips are pale brown and fibrous on the inside, and once wet and chewed the end frays into a rough brush. The colour comes from juglone (a natural orange-brown dye in walnut hulls, leaves and bark), the same chemical that turns your fingers brown for days after you shell fresh green walnuts in autumn.

• Other names: dandasa, dandasa chhaal, walnut bark, akhrot ka chhilka (loosely)
• Main uses: rubbing teeth and gums, colouring lips and gums, freshening the mouth
• Where it’s most common: Pashtun, Kashmiri, Hazara and Afghan homes, and wedding make-up kits of older generations

How is dandasa used on teeth and lips?

The traditional method is simple, and the amounts matter only in the sense that a gentle touch avoids sore gums.

1. Take one strip about 8 to 10 cm long and soak the end in a small cup of plain water for 5 to 10 minutes until it bends without snapping.
2. Chew the softened 1 cm end gently until the fibres spread into a brush.
3. Rub the outer surfaces of the teeth and gums lightly for about 1 minute; don’t scrub hard, because the bark is rough.
4. For lip colour, rub the wet, chewed end across closed lips a few times. The colour deepens over the next hour.
5. Rinse your mouth with plain water, then rinse the strip, shake it dry and keep it in a clean, open container. Throw it away after 2 or 3 uses, or sooner if it smells musty.

Don’t share a strip, ever. A fibrous, damp stick that has been in someone else’s mouth carries their bacteria and, with bleeding gums, can carry blood too.

What people say, what tradition says and what’s true

What people say

The popular claim is that dandasa whitens teeth, kills germs, makes gums strong, fixes bad breath and gives “pink healthy lips” with no chemicals, all from one strip of bark.

What tradition says

In Unani terms walnut bark is described as warm and drying, astringent and cleansing for the mouth, and it was used to firm the gums and freshen the breath before brushes and paste were common in villages. As a cosmetic, it was the original long-lasting lip tint: a bride’s dandasa-coloured lips and gums were a sign of grooming.

Our honest take Depends

As a lip and gum tint, it works, and plenty of people use it for years without trouble. As tooth care, it’s a weak substitute, because the bark scrubs only the front surfaces, misses the gum pockets and between-teeth areas where decay and gum disease start, and carries no fluoride. Juglone does have antibacterial activity in the lab, which is plausible for a fresher mouth for a few hours, but that is not the same as protecting teeth over years. So use it as make-up, if you like it, and keep brushing with fluoride toothpaste.

Does dandasa whiten teeth or stain them?

More likely the opposite. The same brown-red dye that colours lips can settle into the tiny grooves on enamel, around fillings and on any tartar, and regular users often get a yellow-brown cast along the gum line. Teeth may look whiter by contrast next to deep red gums, which is where the “whitening” story begins. It’s an optical trick. If whiteness is your aim, our teeth whitening verdicts cover what actually changes tooth colour and what wears enamel.

Can dandasa irritate gums and lips?

Yes. This is the part sellers skip, and it’s the part that matters most for anyone who uses a strip every single morning for years. Juglone is an irritant for some skin, so watch for these signs:

• burning, tingling or itching of the lips after use
• dry, peeling or cracked lips that keep coming back
• sore, raw or receding gums from rough rubbing
• small white patches or ulcers where the bark sits

The bigger risk is hidden disease. Deep colour on the gums can mask the redness and swelling that would warn you about gum disease, and it can make it harder to notice a new patch in the mouth. That’s why regular users need a dental check at least once a year, and why any mouth sore or patch that hasn’t gone in 3 weeks needs a dentist or doctor, coloured gums or not.

Myth: dandasa is natural, so it’s harmless

Natural plants can still irritate, stain or cause allergy, walnut is a common nut allergen, and people with a walnut allergy should avoid dandasa in the mouth altogether, because contact with the bark could set off lip swelling or worse. Natural also says nothing about cleanliness: a strip stored in a damp drawer grows mould.

Myth: dandasa can replace a toothbrush

It can’t. Not even close. A brush with fluoride paste reaches the chewing surfaces, the backs of the teeth and the gum line all the way round, while a bark strip mostly polishes the front. Use a brush for at least 2 minutes before bed, clean between the teeth (our guide to cleaning between your teeth shows how), and keep dandasa as an occasional extra. Compare the trade-offs with other sticks in our babool datun guide.

Did you know?

• Walnut trees release juglone into the soil, and many garden plants grow poorly under them, a known effect called allelopathy (plants chemically limiting their neighbours).
• Green walnut hulls, which carry the same dye, have long been used to stain wood and colour hair brown.

How to buy good dandasa and store it

• Look for: clean, dry, flexible strips of even colour with no white or green fuzz.
• Avoid: strips that look painted or unusually bright, because some sellers dip cheap bark in synthetic colour, and you can’t tell what that colour is.
• Smell: woody and faintly bitter. Musty or sour means damp.
• Storage: an airtight jar in a dry cupboard keeps unused strips for months. A used strip is a short-life item.

If dandasa has left your lips dark and dry, look at our pieces on dark lips causes, and give dry lips a plain balm or a thin layer of ghee at night.

Dandasa questions people ask

More honest checks of old mouth and beauty habits live in Desi Remedies.