Phytoextracts in Dentistry from Prevention to Therapy - A Review

Dental diseases are major public health problems and are the most common cause of tooth loss in adults. However, every disease is preventable if diagnosed at the earliest and there are many ways for prevention of dental diseases like use of drugs, invasive and noninvasive techniques. The field of dentistry also has begun to exploit herbs as one of the cost-effective ways of prevention. Phytomedicine may be defined as a medicine derived from plants in their original state and standardized for use in a dosage regimen. Some of the commonly available herbs are clove oil, green tea, turmeric, aloe-Vera, Triphala, neem, peppermint and oregano which exhibit excellent biological properties like- Antimicrobial agents, Anti-inflammatory agents, antioxidant and sedative. Plant extracts have the potential to act as prophylactic or therapeutic agents for soft tissue and hard tissue conditions. This review article explores the application of phytoextracts for dental disease prevention and emphasizes their integration within the framework of Evidence-Based Dentistry (EBD). Through a comprehensive literature search conducted on the PubMed database, this review synthesizes findings from various studies on phytoextracts, highlighting their potential in primary prevention methods in dentistry. It underscores the importance of EBD in validating the efficacy and safety of phytoextracts, ensuring that clinical practices are grounded in robust scientific evidence. This bird’s eye view of the current literature reveals a significant need for more rigorous and detailed research to fully harness the benefits of phytoextracts in dental care.