The Misswak

Yıl 1980, Cilt: 14 Sayı: 1, 32 - 35, 05.07.2013

Zafar Attar

Öz

Man has been through all ages a lover of beauty. The Arab's love of beauty finds expression in his literature and poetry. His sweetheart had teeth comparable only to a string of pearls.

With the onset of civilization and the varied menu introduced into his diet, he began to have trouble with his teeth and so he went back to Nature in search of ways and means for combatting this trouble. Learning that food remains must be removed from between his teeth, he started to use toothpicks mainly Khilals -made from the peduncle of several types of ammiaceae which have a pleasant taste from aromatic flavours such as anise, caraway or dill. This did not accomplish the desired effect. Again he went back to Nature for aid and it provided him with the misswak, an aromatic root of the small bush - Arrak-tree (Salvadora persica L. tooth-brush tree) which grows wild in the desert. When rubbed against the teeth its root fibers stand out like the bristles of a modern tooth-brush, which it excels in several ways. Besides cleaning the teeth and giving them a nice shiny appearance it has a very agreeable taste which causes an increase in flow of the saliva. Moreover, it is easy to get and costs practically nothing, while no paste, powder or liquid dentrifice is required to be used with it.

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