NATURAL PRODUCTS AS DENTAL PROPHYLACTIC AGENTS - A REVIEW

Abstract

Oral diseases bear a significant health burden for several countries and affect people throughout their lifetime, causing pain, discomfort, disfigurement and even death. Natural phytochemicals isolated from plants utilized in traditional medicine are considered as good alternatives to synthetic chemicals and improve dental health and promote oral hygiene. Herbal dentifrices act as antiplaque and also helpful in preventing gingivitis. The present study is aimed at reviewing various extracts and their effects on dental diseases. The articles were collected from pubmed, scopus and google scholars. The outcome is based on the studies which discuss the efficacy of various natural products used as oral prophylactic agents. The natural agents used are miswak, sesame seed, neem, Aloevera, turmeric, tea, pot marigold and coconut. Their formulations as Dental prophylactic agents are herbal stick, oil, gel, mouthwash and toothpaste. The main advantages of using these natural agents include good antiplaque activity and protection against gingivitis. We conclude that Natural products as dental prophylactic agents are more beneficial in dentistry. Despite various herbal products investigated, Neem is more widely researched due to its antimicrobial property.