Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim.
So, I'm thinking more and more to ditch my toothbrush in favor of a better, far more superior tooth care method.
Why would I want to do that? Well, there are a few good reasons that I've been beating myself over the head in regards to, one of which is that modern commercial toothpaste is plain and simple POISON.
Yes that's right, fluoride is poison. It is a long standing myth that fluoride, which is an ingredient in all toothpastes available (I have never seen one available without it), helps prevent cavities. This is untrue and a total fabrication. There is no evidence of this. In fact, fluoride is actually a chemical byproduct! . Moreover, the FDA has never even approved this drug.
I won't get into the "Why?" behind the fact of fluoride's widespead use, but since I have learned the fact of its danger, it's been driving me nuts that it's difficult to find alternatives to fluoridated toothpaste in a modern American city. I spent some efforts to find DIY toothpaste recipes to make it myself; there are many recipes for making your own toothpaste, including the ever popular ingredient baking soda. I did actually make one using it, but it was so bitter and unbearable for me (I'm a wimp) that I dreaded brushing. And I rejected it. I found another one which seemed quite promising, after you pull together the uncommon ingredients (search "Susie Castillo blog toothpaste"), so I didn't make it, yet.
And another reason fluoridated toothpaste has been driving me crazy is that I am asking my kids to put poison in their mouths, and just hope that, kids being kids, they won't swallow any of it. Is that just insane?! Poison in kids toothpaste!
Another reason to ditch the toothbrush is the harm of the actual toothbrush itself. The abrasiveness of the bristles (which are made of nylon) against the tooth enamel will wear it down, creating another undesirable dental problem. Also, the manufacturing of the handle of the toothbrush is known to include BPA, PVC and phthalates, all of which are known as toxic to humans and the environment. And we put it in our mouths?!
Then it dawned on me: SIWAK.
So, I'm thinking more and more to ditch my toothbrush in favor of a better, far more superior tooth care method.
Why would I want to do that? Well, there are a few good reasons that I've been beating myself over the head in regards to, one of which is that modern commercial toothpaste is plain and simple POISON.
Yes that's right, fluoride is poison. It is a long standing myth that fluoride, which is an ingredient in all toothpastes available (I have never seen one available without it), helps prevent cavities. This is untrue and a total fabrication. There is no evidence of this. In fact, fluoride is actually a chemical byproduct! . Moreover, the FDA has never even approved this drug.
I won't get into the "Why?" behind the fact of fluoride's widespead use, but since I have learned the fact of its danger, it's been driving me nuts that it's difficult to find alternatives to fluoridated toothpaste in a modern American city. I spent some efforts to find DIY toothpaste recipes to make it myself; there are many recipes for making your own toothpaste, including the ever popular ingredient baking soda. I did actually make one using it, but it was so bitter and unbearable for me (I'm a wimp) that I dreaded brushing. And I rejected it. I found another one which seemed quite promising, after you pull together the uncommon ingredients (search "Susie Castillo blog toothpaste"), so I didn't make it, yet.
And another reason fluoridated toothpaste has been driving me crazy is that I am asking my kids to put poison in their mouths, and just hope that, kids being kids, they won't swallow any of it. Is that just insane?! Poison in kids toothpaste!
Another reason to ditch the toothbrush is the harm of the actual toothbrush itself. The abrasiveness of the bristles (which are made of nylon) against the tooth enamel will wear it down, creating another undesirable dental problem. Also, the manufacturing of the handle of the toothbrush is known to include BPA, PVC and phthalates, all of which are known as toxic to humans and the environment. And we put it in our mouths?!
Then it dawned on me: SIWAK.
siwak or miswak
This would solve the problem of fluoridated toothpaste (never mind the fluoridated tap water!). If you don't know what siwak is, it is a natural twig from the arak tree (seen in above picture). It's actually sunnah to use it; the Prophet (SAW) used to use it to clean his teeth. There are a few hadiths regarding the use of siwak:
I did some research and found one researcher published*** his findings which found that siwak "contains substances which purify and kill microbes." There are natural acids in the siwak which will kill germs and break down plaque, which are the source of bad breath. And the bristles of siwak are rigid yet soft enough to not cause harm to teeth.
So why NOT use siwak? Allah SWT the Creator knows what is best for us and subhanallah He made innumerable things in nature which benefit us alhumdulillah. Why use something man-made, which could never even come close to the creation of Allah SWT which is perfect; man-made products will definitely have harms as they are without this perfection, and are usually created with the idea of profit in mind and don't take into serious contemplation possible health risks.
So after all that worry, research, and thought, I think I'm going to......
- Aisha (RA) said, "The Prophet (SAW) said, "It (i.e. Siwak) is a purification for the mouth and it is a way of seeking Allah's pleasures." [Bukhari]
- 'Amir bin Rabi'a (RA) said: "I saw the Prophet (SAW) cleaning his teeth with Siwak while he was fasting so many times as I can't count."
- Abu Huraira (RA) said, "The Prophet (SAW) said, 'But for my fear that it would be hard for my followers, I would have ordered them to clean their teeth with Siwak on every performance of ablution."
I did some research and found one researcher published*** his findings which found that siwak "contains substances which purify and kill microbes." There are natural acids in the siwak which will kill germs and break down plaque, which are the source of bad breath. And the bristles of siwak are rigid yet soft enough to not cause harm to teeth.
So why NOT use siwak? Allah SWT the Creator knows what is best for us and subhanallah He made innumerable things in nature which benefit us alhumdulillah. Why use something man-made, which could never even come close to the creation of Allah SWT which is perfect; man-made products will definitely have harms as they are without this perfection, and are usually created with the idea of profit in mind and don't take into serious contemplation possible health risks.
So after all that worry, research, and thought, I think I'm going to......
photo: muzlimbuzz.sg
See Cleanliness page for more on Siwak and video on how to prepare and use the stick.
***Published in journal "Oral Medicine and Dentistry", by the research of Dr. James Turner, Faculty of Medicine in the American University of Tennessee.
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