Miswak (Chewing Stick): Top 10 Health and Medicinal Benefits for Teeth Cleaning

What is Miswak?

Miswak is a tooth-cleaning chewing stick from the tree of Salvadora persica. The stick, available everywhere, has antibacterial properties and can be used instead of toothbrush and toothpaste. It prevents dental plaque formation and has multiple medicinal benefits and uses. The prophet Muhammad (SAW) had often advocated the use of miswak. The World Health Organization (WHO) has also suggested using miswak in a report on oral hygiene published in 1986 and 2000.

10 best benefits of Miswak

This natural twig is known for both health benefits and medicinal uses. Some of the essential benefits of this Salvadora persica tree are:

1. Prevents plaque and gingivitis: Brushing the teeth with this natural twig helps to prevent bacterial activities in the teeth, thus saving your teeth from plaque formation and gingivitis. The bark contains antibiotics that prevent the growth of bacteria.
2. Anti-addiction: Dr Rami Mohammed Diabi has shown how miswak is beneficial in discouraging addiction.
3. Gums strengthening: It cleanses your teeth and helps maintain your gums.
4. Bad breath: Regular use of the miswak removes bad breath and odour from the mouth.
5. Nutrition facts: Miswak contains fluorine, silicon, vitamin C, salvadorine, and trimethylamine.
6. Strengthens teeth enamel: The twig contains potassium, sodium, chloride, sodium bicarbonate, and calcium oxide.  These minerals help to strengthen the tooth enamel.
7. Tooth whitening: It helps to reduce stains from tea, coffee, food particles, tobacco products, betel, etc.
8. Anti-cariogenic: Cleaning the teeth with this has an anti-cariogenic effect.
9. Prevents tooth decay: It saves your teeth from decaying as the natural brush cleans your teeth and removes the dirt and germs.
10. Toothache:  Since it kills germs and bacteria, it saves your teeth from cavities and gingivitis. Thus, it is suitable for relieving toothache.

Common name of Miswak

Miswak is also known by other names such as miswaak, siwak and sewak. It is known as arak in Arabic, Koyoji in Japanese, qesam in Hebrew, qisa in Aramaic, and mastic in Latin.  Its synonyms in Arab are miswaak, misswak, miswaki, meswak, mswaki, sewak, siwak, and siwaki.