Amal Al-Sibai

Saudi Gazette

 

THIS looks like a stick but it is a toothbrush. It resembles the miswak, which the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, used habitually to clean his teeth and keep his blessed mouth fresh, yet this miswak has been modified to make it more convenient for the modern day. It seems like a smart but simple variation that will probably encourage Muslims all over the world to rekindle this tradition of the Prophet.



How did this idea evolve into a practical, easy-to-use product?  Many brilliant life-changing innovations were in fact invented by chance; when scientists by mistake stumbled upon some amazing discovery while they had been looking for something else altogether.



The famous scientist Alexander Fleming had absentmindedly left dirty bacteria culture dishes lying around in his lab. Weeks later he was about to dispose of the old dishes when he realized that there was a blob of mold in one dish and that the small area around the mold was bacteria-free, as if the mold had stopped the bacteria from spreading.



And that is how penicillin, one of the most widely used antibiotics today, was discovered. 



THIS toothbrush/miswak innovation was made by a designer not a scientist, but also by chance.



It all began when Leen Sadder was assigned a student project at the School of Visual Arts in New York for her Master’s degree program at the university, majoring in Design Entrepreneurship.



Telling her story, Sadder said, “For a project at the School of Visual Arts, my first assignment was to redesign the first thing I throw out when I leave class. I went home that night and threw out an empty tube of toothpaste.  At first, I panicked. How do you redesign toothpaste?”



“After plenty of research about toothpaste and toothbrushes, I landed on an article about the dental benefits of the miswak, and decided to create a product that would modernize it. I researched its dental benefits, Islamic significance, as well as its organic properties and I found it to be a healthy alternative to a toothbrush.



“However, it is quite difficult to cut off the tip and soften it for use, so I wanted to make it easier to peel the stick. I created a miswak carrying case to keep it clean and a cutting cap that lets you easily cut and peel it.”



In order to successfully complete the student project, Sadder was also required to design an ad campaign and a real website for the product. Her student project was complete, she would get a good grade, she did not give it further thought, and that was it, until something amazing and unexpected happened.



Popular blogs from design, Islamic, and environmental enthusiasts were featuring THIS on their sites and talking about it as an interesting new product. THIS started to gain a following. 



“The product’s website that I had created for the purpose of my assignment soon had more than 41,000 views and my e-mail started flooding with messages from people asking about THIS toothbrush and how they could order it. I was receiving e-mails from people from Greece, UK, Morocco, Malaysia, Poland, and more; asking how they could get their hands on one,” said Sadder. 



Due to the tremendous positive feedback and support she had received, Sadder decided to go for it and pursue the making of THIS toothbrush. “With my business partner and a talented industrial designer on the team, we were able to make it a reality. We launched a Facebook page and designed a website where people could receive updates on the production phase of our innovative toothbrush. We are happy to announce that we are finally in the production phase. We will soon start selling THIS toothbrush both in retail stores and online,” said Sadder to the Saudi Gazette. 



As for its value to Muslims, Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, has repeatedly stressed and encouraged the miswak’s daily use.



“The siwak is a means of purifying the mouth and pleasing the Lord,” said Prophet Muhammad.



Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, narrated that whenever the Prophet slept in the night or day, when he awoke he would clean his teeth with the miswak before performing ablution.



Science today attests that the miswak improves oral health. Using the miswak has many benefits; it kills bacteria that cause gum disease, fights plaque, and protects against developing cavities.



It treats bad breath and creates a pleasant fragrance in the mouth and may also impart digestive benefits. Since the bristles are parallel to the handle rather than perpendicular as in the regular toothbrush, the miswak effectively cleans between teeth.



The modernized miswak was so well received by so many people because it appealed to several different communities and interest groups.



“The Islamic community is excited to see an ancient tradition modernized and made accessible and easy to use. The environmentalist community is excited about an alternative to regular toothbrushes and toothpaste. And finally, the design community is excited about a new innovative product and brand,” said Leen Sadder, the designer of THIS toothbrush/miswak.