Meswak (also referred to as ''Miswak'') is a fluoride-free
toothpaste
Toothpaste is a paste or gel dentifrice used with a toothbrush to clean and maintain the aesthetics and health of teeth. Toothpaste is used to promote oral hygiene: it is an abrasive that aids in removing dental plaque and food from the teeth ...
brand that was launched in
India
India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...
by Balsara Hygiene in 1998.
The toothpaste is marketed as a
herbal
A herbal is a book containing the names and descriptions of plants, usually with information on their medicinal, tonic, culinary, toxic, hallucinatory, aromatic, or magical powers, and the legends associated with them.Arber, p. 14. A herbal ...
toothpaste
as it is made from extracts of the ''
Salvadora persica
''Salvadora persica'' or the toothbrush tree is a small evergreen tree native to India, the Middle East and Africa. Its sticks are traditionally used as a natural toothbrush called ''miswak'' and are mentioned by the World Health Organization f ...
'' plant.
The
teeth cleaning twig of the plant is reputed to have been used over 7,000 years ago.
The brand was relatively unknown until a television advertising campaign during the 1998
Coca-Cola Cup spread brand awareness.
In 2005, Meswak was sold by Balsara to
Dabur
Dabur Ltd is an Indian multinational consumer goods company, founded by S. K. Burman and headquartered in Ghaziabad. It manufactures Ayurvedic medicine and natural consumer products, and is one of the largest fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG ...
along with other Balsara toothpaste brands
Babool and
Promise
A promise is a commitment by someone to do or not do something. As a noun ''promise'' means a declaration assuring that one will or will not do something. As a verb it means to commit oneself by a promise to do or give. It can also mean a capacity ...
in a deal.
As of 2007, the Meswak brand was valued at .
In 2011, Dabur announced that
Bipasha Basu
Bipasha Basu Singh Grover (born 7 January 1979) is an Indian actress and former model. Primarily known for her work in Hindi films, she has also appeared in Tamil, Telugu, Bengali and English films. Basu is the recipient of numerous accol ...
would be Meswak's brand ambassador.
See also
*
List of toothpaste brands
Toothpaste is a gel dentifrice used in conjunction with a toothbrush to help clean and maintain the aesthetics and health of teeth. Toothpaste is used to promote oral hygiene; it functions as an abrasive agent that helps to remove dental plaqu ...
*
Index of oral health and dental articles
Dental pertains to the teeth, including dentistry. Topics related to the dentistry, the human mouth and teeth include:
__NOTOC__
A
:Abfraction •
Abrasion •
:Academy of General Dentistry •
:Acinic ...
References
External links
Meswak Official website
{{Dabur Group
Brands of toothpaste
Oral hygiene
Indian brands