I was pursuing a Middle Eastern shop when I spotted these packages of…twigs. Has anyone ever heard of a miswak? It’s a teeth cleaning twig cut from the root of the arak tree (Salvadora persica). Apparently, the miswak have been used over 7000 years ago and is predominately used in Muslim populations around Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, and some Southeast Asian countries. In other regions and cultures, the tree twig toothbrushes can be made from bamboo, neem, citrus trees, and other plants, but the arak tree is documented to have antiseptic properties that really clean and protect teeth and gums.
To use, I carefully shaved off a layer of bark at one tip of the twig with a small knife, then dipped it in water. I gently crushed the tip to produce feathery bristle fibers. Over time, you trim off the fiber and peel off more bark to get fresh bristles. I’ll spare you photos of my gums and teeth, but the photo below generally gets the point across in terms of the brushing action.
I’m probably not doing this 100% correctly, but the miswak was quite easy to use. I had a little trouble getting the back of my front teeth, but otherwise, the twig did a great job and there were no odd flavors. The twig smelled a little bit horseradishy to me, but not enough to make the brushing process unpleasant. This is such a smart way to maintain oral hygiene and I’m super excited to have this as a part of my outdoor survival kit.
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