Miswak stick (siwak): what it is and how to use it

A miswak (also siwak or meswak) is a twig or root of the arak tree (Salvadora persica) used to clean the teeth. When you chew one end, it splits into soft fibres that work like the bristles of a toothbrush. Miswak is common in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, and its name is also used for toothpastes such as Dabur Miswak.

What a miswak is

The arak tree is a shrub or small tree that grows in dry parts of the Middle East, Africa and the Indian subcontinent. Its thin twigs or roots are cut into pencil-length pieces for cleaning the teeth. A fresh miswak has a slightly sharp, spicy taste.

"Miswak" is an Arabic word, and "siwak" is another form of it. In Muslim tradition using a miswak is recommended as sunnah, a practice attributed to the Prophet Muhammad, so many people use it before prayer or during Ramadan. In India, twigs of the neem tree, called datun, have long played a similar role.

How to use a miswak stick

A miswak is usually sold sealed in a wrapper, with the bark on along its whole length. Getting it ready takes a minute:

1. Remove the bark from one end, about 1 cm. Scrape it off with a knife or bite it off.
2. Chew the bare end until the fibres separate and soften. If the stick is very dry, soak it in water for a few minutes first.
3. Brush gently from the gums towards the edges of the teeth, as you would with a toothbrush. Do not press hard.
4. Rinse the miswak with water after use.
5. Every day or two, cut off the used fibres and expose a fresh piece of the stick.

You can use a miswak several times a day, also away from home, because it needs no water or toothpaste. Many people use it alongside an ordinary toothbrush and toothpaste, not instead of them.

How to store a miswak

Keep a used miswak in a dry, clean place, ideally in a case or a box with holes so it can dry. Do not leave it in a closed, damp bag. Keep an unused stick sealed in its wrapper, away from sunlight.

When the miswak is down to a few centimetres and hard to hold, it is time for a new one.

Miswak toothpaste

If you prefer an ordinary toothbrush, you can choose a toothpaste with miswak extract. The easiest to find are the Indian Dabur Miswak toothpastes. They have a spicy, herbal taste, different from the minty pastes in a Polish drugstore (drogeria). The ingredients and directions for each toothpaste are on the tube, and what a product does is described by the maker on the pack.

In Polish shops toothpaste is "pasta do zębów", and oral care products are under "higiena jamy ustnej".

Where to buy miswak in Poland

In the Little India online shop, miswak toothpastes are in the oral care category and the toothpaste category. They include Dabur Miswak Original toothpaste and Dabur Miswak toothpaste with black seed. For miswak sticks, ask in the Little India shops in Warsaw, Kraków, Wrocław and Gdańsk (shop addresses); the online shop ships orders across Poland.

For what else an Indian shop in Poland sells, see our guide to the Indian shop in Poland. For another everyday care product and its Polish name, read about petroleum jelly in Poland.