The Miswak is chewing stick used throughout the Middle East. In this article for FDI World, Drs. John Hardie and Khaled Ahmed, both practitioners in Saudi Arabia, review the literature on its mechanical cleansing action and the chemicals within its fibres which may be more effective in promoting oral health. They speculate that, since the plaque removing properties of the miswak and conventional toothbrush are similar, the beneficial effects of the toothbrush may also depend less upon the mechanical efficiency of its bristles and more upon the chemical constituents of the toothpaste.