The miswak is a teeth-cleaning twig made from the Salvadora persica tree. The miswak's properties have been described as follows: "Apart from their antibacterial activity which may help control the formation and activity of dental plaque, they can be used effectively as a natural toothbrush for teeth cleaning. Such sticks are effective, inexpensive, common, available, and contain many medical properties".
The miswak or siwak is predominantly used in Muslim-inhabited areas. It is commonly used in the Arabian Peninsula, the Horn of Africa, North Africa, parts of the Sahel, the Indian subcontinent, and Central Asia.
The oral hygiene practice using herbal sticks exists in many parts of the world since ancient time: ancient India, ancient Greece (mentioned by Alciphron, ancient Rome, ancient Israel (mentioned in Talmud), Eastern Asia (mentioned in the Gospel of Buddhism),
Denominations
The sticks made of
Salvadora persica tree are called
miswak,
siwak or
arak in
Arabic,
[Samer Lababidi. Salvadora Persica L : intérêt en hygiène bucco-dentaire. Sciences du Vivant q-bio.
2019. ffdumas-02130212ff] koyoji in Japanese,
qesam or
qesem in
Hebrew,
in
Aramaic,
mastic in
Latin,
or
sothiou in
Wolof language of Senegal,
[Grappin G. et Kerharo J. — Note sur les Sotio (frotte-dents) vendus sur les marchés Dakarois. Commun. 6e journées Med. Dakar, 1969.] (plural
siwakejé) in Northern Nigeria
Fulani.
The term miswak should not be confused with the same term used in Maghreb[2020, Evaluation de l'activité fongicide et fongistatique des extraits de noyer commun (Juglans regia) (PDF) · GUERIANE, Ilhem; REZIG, Sara; SAIDI, Chahinez, Depot Institutionnel de l'UMBB/Université M'Hamed BOUGARA de Boumerdès][Maiza Khadra. PHARMACOPEE TRADITIONNELLE SAHARIENNE SAHARA ALGERIEN.
Botanique. université Ben youcef Ben khedda, Alger, 2008. Français. ffNNT : ff. fftel-04105712ff] Tunisia,[L'aventure ibāḍite dans le Sud tunisien, VIIIe-XIIIe siècle
effervescene d'une région méconnue · Volume 350, Virginie Prevost, 2008] and Libya.[Khaled Abdalla. Le potentiel de développement durable du tourisme de santé en Libye : son influence
sur l’attraction des touristes européens : étude en géographie touristique. Géographie. Université
Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 2017. Français. ffNNT : 2017UBFCH010ff. fftel-01754051ff]
History
As far back as antiquity, people began to practice oral hygiene by using fibrous chewable sticks, such as siwak, as toothbrushes. The stick contains cleaners, disinfectants and even
. It is recommended in the collection of medical knowledge of the
Ancient Indian surgeon (ca. 500 BC)
Sushruta, known as a pioneer of
anesthesia, which he practiced in particular with
Cannabis indica.
[
] Siwak is also mentioned in the ancient Indian book of the Laws of Manu (, ) around the
Christian era. In the Islamic world,
Muhammad is said to have used it regularly, according to later Hadîth literature.
Science
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommended the use of the
miswak in 1986, but in 2000, an international consensus report on
oral hygiene concluded that further research was needed to document the effect of the
miswak.
Some of this further research has been done on a population of 203, and concluded, "that the periodontal status of miswak users in this Sudanese population is better than that of toothbrush users".
Yet another comparative study conducted on a sampling of 480 Saudi Arabian adults found that "the level of need for periodontal care in the sample chosen is low when compared with the findings of similar studies undertaken in other countries. The frequent use of the 'Miswak' was associated with a lower need for treatment".
Miswak extract vs. oral disinfectants
Studies indicate that Salvadora persica extract exhibits low antimicrobial activity compared to other oral disinfectants and anti-plaque agents like
triclosan and
Chlorhexidine.
However, the benefits of triclosan were discounted by the United States Food and Drug Administration in 2016 and its safety is uncertain as a hygiene product ingredient.
Chemical composition
Salvadorine and benzylisothiocyanate appear to be responsible for the antibacterial activity of Miswak. The plant also contains insoluble
fluoride in high concentration, calcium,
salicylic acid, and some
antioxidants of unclear function.
Religious prescriptions
The use of the
miswak is frequently advocated in the
hadith (the traditions relating to the life of Prophet Muhammad). Situations where the
miswak is recommended to be used include before or during
wudu (ablution), before going to the mosque, before entering one's house, before and after going on a journey, on Fridays,
before sleeping and after waking up, when experiencing hunger or thirst and before entering any good gathering.
In addition to strengthening the Gingiva, preventing Dental caries and eliminating , the miswak is said to halt further decay that has already set in. Furthermore, it is reputed to create a fragrance in the mouth, eliminate Halitosis, improve sensitivity of taste-buds and promote cleaner teeth.
Hadiths concerning the miswak
It is often mentioned that the Islamic prophet
Muhammad recommended the
miswak's use.
[ "Excellence of Miswak in Hadiths" at ziaetaiba.com.] He is quoted in various
hadith extolling its virtues:
[ "Miswak" at sunnah.com.][ "Siwak" at searchtruth.com.]
Alternative forms
Modern uses of
arāk wood in oral hygiene expands beyond miswak itself. Extracts containing its active components have been added to
mouthwash and
toothpaste.
There is also a German patent for similar formulations for domesticated animals.
Further reading
-
Islamic Research on Miswak (Dr. Al Sahli)
-
Khan, Tehmeena, Toothbrush (Miswak), in Muhammad in History, Thought, and Culture: An Encyclopedia of the Prophet of God (2 vols.), Edited by C. Fitzpatrick and A. Walker, Santa Barbara, ABC-CLIO, 2014.
External links
