Review Article

Year : 2021 | Volume : 9 | Issue : 2 | Page : 100 - 103

Herbal Extracts in Dentistry - A Review of the Current Scenario and its Future Implications

Sathya Kumaresan, Channesh Patel1

Department of Public Health Dentistry, Saveetha Dental College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 1 Department of Conservative and Endodontics, College of Dental Sciences, Davangere, Karnataka, India

Address for correspondence:

Dr. Sathya Kumaresan,

Department of Public Health Dentistry, Saveetha Dental College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.

E‐mail: sathu.kumaresan@gmail.com

Abstract

There have been several in vitro studies that have investigated the activity of natural plant extracts against oral pathogens. These studies have focused on bacteria that are involved in the etiology of oral and dental diseases. Early studies have clearly established that a numberof substances had potential against cariogenic bacteria in dentistry. Dental health is an inevitable part of general health. Oral diseases are chronic diseases and contribute to the major public health problems. The use of natural products for the control of oral diseases is considered as an alternative to synthetic antimicrobials and is also of great help to overcome primary or secondary resistance to the drug. To review the current evidence on the antimicrobial efficacy of several plant extracts on dental caries and plaque microbiology. Over 750 species of bacteria inhabit the oral cavity (~50% of which are yet to be identified) and a number of these are implicated in oral diseases. The initiation of dental caries involves acidogenic and aciduric Gram‐positive bacteria, primarily the mutans streptococci (Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus), lactobacilli and actinomycetes.

Keywords: Dental caries, herbal extracts, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Streptococcus mutans

Financial support and sponsorship

Nil.

Conflicts of interest

There are no conflicts of interest.

How to cite this article:

Kumaresan S, Patel C. Herbal extracts in dentistry - A review of the current scenario and its future implications. Int J Community Dent 2021;9:100-3.