Brush Your Teeth with This Stick



A miswak is a tooth cleaning stick made from the Salvadora persica tree. It's traditionally used in Pakistan, India, and the Middle East in place of a modern plastic toothbrush. The bristles inside the plant, once exposed by cutting across the stem, are effective as a cleaning instrument. Leen Sadder, a design student, decided to make a modern version:

THIS aims to repackage and promote the miswak as an organic, biodegradable, portable, more beneficial substitute for toothpaste and a toothbrush. The biggest challenge was figuring out how to package and market the twig to a contemporary American audience, who would not be entertained with the idea of biting off the top of the stick in order to use it. The solution for this is a cigar-cutter-like cap that peels off the outer layer to reveal the natural bristles, and slices them off after use. It also protects the stick from germs and microbes.


http://www.behance.net/gallery/THIS-toothbrush/939513 via Gizmodo

@ Mr. Awesome -if you are picking slivers out of your teeth, then you may be scrubbing to hard.

Having actually used these, I do not see a need for them in a place that has products like Wisp available.
If I were somewhere without my toothbrush in the middle east and that was available to me, then yes. But in a modern place, no.
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I bought several of these online and used them regularly for about 6 months (in addition to regular brushing). When I went for my next tooth cleaning the hygienist was impressed at how little work she had to do on my teeth.

I didn't mind the taste but the process itself was a hassle.
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I actually use one of these regularly and it is quite effective. It is biodegradable and there are a ton of benefits from within the bark itself for oral health and overall health as well. Here is an article to get you started: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12239575

I was wondering how do I purchase this particular brand? I tried googling but couldn't find anything?
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