Siwak; Culture and Dental Health

Miswak or Siwak is better and healthier tool for cleaning the teeth than any ordinary toothpaste. Miswak is Sunnah and it is gift for teeth cleaning which keeps away bad breath and leaves the teeth and mouth clean and healthy.

Introduction

Siwak or Miswak, is part of the stems, roots or branches of Salvadora persica plants that mostly grow in the Middle East, Asia and Africa.

Several centuries ago, in the Middle East, Africa and some Asian countries, Muslims generally have used parts of plants called siwak. Generally taken from the arak tree (Salvadora persica) to clean the mouth. Siwak is easy to use. Can brush well, give foam to the mouth, improve saliva and environmentally friendly. Siwak contains approximately 19 substances, which are needed to improve oral health. Siwak content include: antiseptic material, astringent asian acid and essential oils increase saliva (Zaenab et al, 2004). According to the World Health Organization Report Series (826), siwak can remove plaque without causing tooth injury.

Plant Salvadora Persica is a plant that has a size not too large and has a diameter of about one foot, height 4-6 meters, soft and white trunked.

Siwak is also believed to be used as a purification and religious activity performed by Prophet Muhammad SAW around the year 600 AD. Many hadiths mention and suggestion to do siwak. Until now the entire Muslim population of the world not far from this siwak wood, which is used as a substitute or a toothpaste companion.

The scientific classification of siwak plants are:
 Divisio : Embryophyta
 Sub Divisio : Spermatophyta
 Class : Dicotyledons
 Sub Class : Eudicotiledons
 Ordo : Brassicales
 Family : Salvadoraceae
 Genus : Salvadora
 Spesies : Salvadora persica
Source: smallcrab.com

Siwak Content

Analysis of dried siwak tree content with extraction using ethanol 80% followed by ether then examined its content through ECP (Exhaustive Chemical Procedure) chemical procedure showed that siwak contain chemicals such as: trimethylamine, alkaloid suspected as salvadorin, chloride, large amount of fluoride and silica, sulfur, vitamin C, tannins, saponins, flavonoids and sterols (khasiatmanfaat.com).

Al-Lafi and Ababneh (1995) in al-Atsari (2005) research on siwak wood (Salvadora persica) and prove that siwak contains natural minerals that can kill and inhibit bacterial growth, erode plaque, prevent cavities and maintain health gums and tooth supporting tissues. Siwak has a useful chemical content, including:

• Antibacterial Acids, such as astringents, abrasives and detergents that serve to kill bacteria, prevent infection, stop bleeding in the gums. The use of siwak wood fresh the first time, will feel slightly spicy and slightly burn, because there are similar content of mustard which is the antibacterial acid substance.
• Chemical content such as Chloride, Pottasium, Sodium Bicarbonate, Fluoride, Silica, Sulfur, Vitamin C, Trimethylamine, Salvadorin, Tannin and some other minerals that work to clean teeth, whiten and nourish teeth and gums. These ingredients are often extracted as ingredients of toothpaste
• Natural aroma oil that has a fresh taste and smell, which can be refresh the mouth and eliminate unpleasant odors.
• Enzymes that prevent the formation of plaque which is the cause of inflammation gums and the main cause of premature dental dates.
• Anti Decay Agent (Anti-decomposition) and Antigermal System, which is acts like Penicillin lowers the amount of bacteria in the mouth and prevents the process of decomposition. Siwak also stimulates the production of saliva, where saliva itself is an organic mouth that protects and cleans the mouth.

How to use

Scrape off a half inch bark from either tip. Wash Miswak and then chew the tip to make it soft like a brush.

Siwak wood can be used as a cleanser of teeth and tongue. The dorsal portion of the tongue can be cleaned by breaking the siwak wood into a V shape and used to erode the tongue to get rid of plaque. As a tooth cleanser, how to use siwak wood first washed first by using water to get a soft stem of siwak wood. Then chew the ends so it breaks and frayed just like a toothbrush. In order not to damage the gingiva when worn, the sugi wood must be chewed until quite tender and then rubbed on the buccal, lingual and occlusal surfaces of each tooth. Siwak wood is usually used without toothpaste.

Conclusion

Content of active ingredients siwak very good as a tooth cleanser. Siwak not only cleans teeth, it also has antibacterial power against some bacteria that cause dental disease.

the best results for perfect dental health is to use toothpaste with grains of siwak powder, because the grains of siwak powder is able to reach between the teeth perfectly and remove the remnants of food that is still nested on the sidelines of the tooth. This has prompted the world's toothpaste companies to include siwak powder into their toothpaste products. WHO (World Health Organization) helped make siwak as one of the health commodities that need to be maintained and cultivated.

Reference:

al-Atsari, Abu Salma, 2005. PENGARUH EKSTRAK SERBUK KAYU SIWAK (Salvadora persica) TERHADAP PERTUMBUHAN BAKTERI Streptococcus mutans DAN Staphylococcus aureus DENGAN METODE DIFUSI LEMPENG AGAR. Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Surabaya.

http://www.smallcrab.com/kesehatan/519-mengenal-kayu-siwak

http://khasiatmanfaat.com/manfaat-siwak-bagi-kesehatan-anti-bakteri-cegah-kanker/

World Health Organization. 1992. Recent Advances in Oral Health. Geneva: WHO Technical, 2-13. Report No. 826.

Zaenab, Mardiastuti HW, VP Anny, and B Logawa, 2004. UJI ANTIBAKTERI SIWAK (Salvadora persica Linn.) TERHADAP Streptococcus mutans (ATC31987) DAN Bacteroides melaninogenicus. MAKARA, KESEHATAN, VOL. 8, NO. 2: 37-40.

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Arak tree or Siwak (Salvadora persica)

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I'm using siwak

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