Journal of Odontology
Open Access

Natural Therapies for Oral Hygiene

Zhaohui Hasan^{* *}Correspondence: Zhaohui Hasan, Department of Dental Hygiene, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, United States, Email:

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Description

Pharmacological efficacy is aided by herbal composition, which also guards against adulteration. Herbal medications must be used regularly. Herbal medications will prevent the spread of oral pathogens, reduce the amount of dental plaque and aid in the treatment of oral disease symptoms. Herbal medicines should be encouraged due to their low cost and low toxicity. This might be accompanied by a magnificent drug that advances knowledge of conventional Asian medicines and their applications to oral health. But a person who cares about their health should undertake this difficult work to demonstrate that people need to promote herbal remedies in order to safeguard the public's health.

Nowadays, natural medicines like honey, clove, miswak and propolis are a part of dental treatment due to their reduced toxicity, wide availability and cost effectiveness. This is about the potential use of natural products in current dentistry. They are in many forms and include chewing sticks, oils, herbal extracts, minerals, animal products, herbs, herbal materials, herbal preparations, and finished herbal products that contain parts of plants or other plant materials as active ingredients. Natural medicines hold huge benefits as adjunctive therapeutic uses in dentistry. Use of these techniques with suitable dosage would benefit the general population by preventing various dental problems [1].

Oral health is a key indicator of overall health, well-being and quality of life. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines oral health as "a state of being free from chronic mouth and facial pain, oral and throat cancer, oral infection and sores, periodontal disease, tooth decay, tooth loss, and other diseases and disorders that limit an individual's capacity in biting, chewing, smiling, speaking, and psychosocial well-being". There are many oral diseases like dental caries, periodontal diseases, oral cancers, manifestations of HIV, dental trauma.

Oral diseases affect 3.58 billion people worldwide, with caries of the permanent teeth being the most common of all conditions assessed. Worldwide, it is estimated that 486 million children suffer from caries of primary teeth and 2.4 billion people suffer from caries of permanent teeth. Natural oral care rises to a growing trend in the increased use of over the counter dental product. Nowadays, there is a huge range of natural oral care products and technology available that are self used without consulting an expert. The potential use of natural product in current dentistry is obtained from plants, animals, marine animals, and minerals sources. The use of an alum mouth rinse daily inhibited caries development in children with decay prone teeth [2].

Natural products have been used in dentistry as analgesic and local anesthetic as antimicrobial plaque agents, as antiseptics, whitening agent, antibacterials, to prevent adhesion of bacteria, antianxiety and anti-halitosis. Commonly used natural products are Azadirachta indica, Syzygium Aromaticum, Acacia catechu. Plants are also used in root canal irrigation, pulpal and dentin repair, solvents, sealer cements, natural antioxidants and storage medium. Morinda citrifolia, propolis, triphala, and aloe vera, besides their oral care activity also act as additives in dental treatment. In the last few decades, various phytochemicals are reported in dentistry showing antimicrobial, analgesic, local anesthetic, anti-halitosis and teeth whitening activity. The chemical constituents obtained from natural resources play a key role in dentistry. Phytochemicals like alkaloids, flavones, flavonoids, flavonols, terpenoids, terpenes, phenols, phenolic acids, saponins, glycosides, quinone derivatives, organosulfur compounds, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, lectins, enzymes, and amino acids are widely used in oral care [3].

Dental caries and periodontal diseases can be treated with chemicals and allopatic drugs. The common side effects associated with them are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and teeth staining. The patient's compatibility with the chemical uses is also not found to be appropriate. The dental problems are well taken using drugs of herbal origin. The utmost requirement in industries is to develop a safe and effective formulation. Prolonged use of synthetic chemical agents produces side effects and for financial considerations, there is a need for natural agents that are effective, safe, and economical. The herbal drugs may be used externally as ointment, pastes, plasters, and poultices or internally as syrups, suspensions, or pills. Ancient techniques like oil pulling therapy, chewing stick, and aqueous herbal extract are an affordable option for its oral health benefits in rural communities. As verified by the examples, there is extensive proof that plant products have the potential to be used as preventative or treatment therapies for oral diseases. The effective advantages with herbal products are cheap, easy availability, greater shelf life, minimal toxicity, and lack of microbial resistance, which is the major advantage with herbal drugs. The drugs used in oral care for suppressing inflammation, may have antibacterial, antifungal, and analgesic activities. They can be recommended in gingivitis, mucositis or any infection of fungal or bacterial origin. The active chemical constituents, which are found to be effective in dental caries, are flavanoids, phenolic acids, resins, triterpenes, carotenoids, or tannins [4].

References

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