10-04-2007, 07:48 PM
Study reveals medicinal properties of miswak
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 explains that the miswak also releases a substance that soothes toothache. 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.
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 explains that the miswak also releases a substance that soothes toothache. 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.
