Sewak - Siwak or Miswak is a cinnamon-colored stick. It has been used for tooth care and oral hygiene for a long time. Sewak - Siwak or Miswak is known as it was in the Middle East and Asia in ancient times, it was used to brush and clean teeth due to its high content of antiseptic and gum calming agents. The best Sewak - Siwak or Miswak is the one made from the arak tree (Salvadora Pérsica) from which our toothpaste was made. The Prophet Mohammed salla Allâhu^alayhi wa sallâm recovered the tradition of oral hygiene as a standard of hygiene for all Islamic people because, apart from its antiseptic agents, it also contains other substances that promote digestion. Even on his deathbed he asked his wife Aisha to prepare Sewak for him - Siwak or Miswak, because the Islamic people are obliged to prepare the body for prayer, i.e. wudu. In this case it was the last prayer of the beloved prophet. This rule became a sunnah and almost a liturgical element. In ancient times the act of chewing certain roots was characteristic of civilized people because these roots were also used as a toothbrush and became its origin.
Already in Antiquity, people began to practice oral hygiene using fibrous chewing sticks, such as siwak, serving as a toothbrush. The stick contains cleaners, disinfectants and even fluorides. It is recommended in the collection of medical knowledge of the surgeon Sushruta in ancient India (ca. 500 BC). The latter is also known as a pioneer of anesthesia, which he practices in particular with Indian hemp1. The siwak is also mentioned in the ancient Indian book of the laws of Manu (Sanskrit: मनुस्मृति, manusmṛti) around the Christian era. In the Islamic world, Muhammad would have regularly used it, according to Hadith literature2. The use of this plant for cleaning teeth predates the appearance of Islam; it developed following the positive opinion expressed by the Prophet Muhammad.
Simply rubbing your teeth with a fibrous object such as siwak helps get rid of dental plaque. Scientific research suggests a beneficial effect in strengthening the gums3. An American study conducted in 2003 by the National Center for Biotechnology Information concluded that the use of siwak is more effective than the use of a toothbrush4,5. The World Health Organization recommended its use in 1986 and then in 20006. It also contains a substance that facilitates digestion and protects teeth against tartar3,5.
There is much research on neem, the shrub branches of which exhibit similar properties to siwak.
