Study reveals medicinal properties of miswak

17-09-2007

By M. Ghazanfar Ali Khan

RIYADH, (Arab News): A study has revealed that the miswak or teeth cleaning sticks
used in Arab and Asian countries have greater value than toothbrush and
toothpaste.

A group of dentists at King Saud University (KSU) has done a study revealing the
medicinal properties of miswak, while miswak sales have gone up considerably in
Ramadan this year.

The study suggests that the beneficial effects for oral hygiene and dental health
for those who have been using miswak are equal to, if not greater than, those of a
toothbrush and toothpaste.

“Miswak has many medicinal properties and can fight plaque, recession of gums,
tooth wear, bleeding gums and periodontal pocket depths,” said the study, adding
that the repeated process of using them releases fresh sap and silica (a hard
glossy mineral), which acts as an abrasive material for the removal stains.

The study was conducted by a group of dentists led by Dr. Khaled Almas. The study
explains that the miswak also releases a substance that soothes toothache. “It is
also used to prevent smoking in adults and thumb sucking in children. It may also
improve appetite and regulate peristaltic movements of the gastro-intestinal
tract,” said the study.

Referring to the growing sales of miswak, especially during Ramadan this year,
Mubarak Al-Oraizi, a miswak seller in Riyadh, said: “Miswak sales have gone up in
Ramadan, especially in Makkah and Madinah by nearly 300 percent.”

Arif Aleem, a Bangladeshi salesman, who sits in front of a Riyadh mosque, said:
“This is our season and we do brisk business in Ramadan every year. For me, it is
fun sitting near the mosque, praying and talking to people, watching people coming
and going and at the same time making money.”