Hadithcore
Sahih al-Bukhari, 244
sahih

Narrated Abu Burda:

My father said, "I came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and saw him carrying a Siwak in his hand and cleansing his teeth, saying, 'U' U'," as if he was retching while the Siwak was in his mouth."

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو النُّعْمَانِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ غَيْلاَنَ بْنِ جَرِيرٍ، عَنْ أَبِي بُرْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ أَتَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَوَجَدْتُهُ يَسْتَنُّ بِسِوَاكٍ بِيَدِهِ يَقُولُ ‏

‏ أُعْ أُعْ ‏

‏، وَالسِّوَاكُ فِي فِيهِ، كَأَنَّهُ يَتَهَوَّعُ‏.‏

References2 variants
In-Book Reference
Book 4, Hadith 110
USC-MSA web (English) reference
Vol. 1, Book 4, Hadith 245 (deprecated numbering scheme)
Sharh · explanationclick to expand
The siwak is a stick cut from the arak tree. It is used to clean the mouth and teeth, to perfume the mouth and to remove bad smells. It is a confirmed Sunnah of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and he would enjoin people to use it. It is cleansing for the mouth and pleasing to the Lord, as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said. This hadith highlights how extensively the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would clean his mouth with the siwak, as Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was cleaning his teeth with a siwak, reaching to the furthest part of the throat, to the extent that he made a sound as if he were going to vomit, saying “Agh, agh.” This is describing the sound made when he using the siwak, because of how extensively he was cleaning his teeth and mouth with it. This hadith highlights the virtue and importance of the siwak..