Role of Herbs in Dentistry-Future Perspectives

The use of herbal remedies have assumed a global dimension, which has culminated in their use in the treatment of various dental ailments in both developed as well as developing countries. The major advantages of herbs are safety, easy availability, increased shelf life, cost effectiveness and lack of microbial resistance. In dentistry, because of the cytotoxic reactions of most of the medicaments used and their inability to eliminate bacteria from dentinal tubules, trend of recent medicine is to use biologic medication extracted from natural plants. Seeds, leaves, stems, bark, roots, flowers, and extracts of all of these have been used in herbal drugs. The strength of the herbal drugs varies based on the genetic distinction, growing conditions, timing and method of harvesting, revelation of the herbs to air, light and dampness, and type of conservation of the herbs. These traditional medicinal plant extracts or phytochemicals inhibit the growth of oral pathogens, reduce the development of dental plaque and reduce the symptoms of oral diseases. Herbs with medicinal properties are used to prevent and treat diseases and to support health and healing.