Herbal Innovations in Endodontics: A Literature Review

It is an undeniable fact that herbal products have gained increasing attention as potential alternatives to conventional chemical agents used in the field of endodontics. Conventional agents used in endodontics are no doubt effective when used, but they also bring about several limitations, including cytotoxicity, tissue irritation, and adverse effects on dentin structure. In recent years, plant-derived compounds have been investigated for their antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and regenerative properties in endodontic therapy. The literature review plays its role in aiming toward the evaluation of herbal products in endodontics. Along with that, it also compares the efficacy of such products with the conventional agents being used. For such brief insights, a comprehensive search was conducted among different electronic databases to ensure that relevance can be figured out in this literature review to a great extent. Studies investigating herbal irrigants, intracanal medicaments, solvents, and sealer additives were included and compared with commonly used commercial agents. Herbal products, such as Triphala, neem, aloe vera, guava leaf extract, curcuma longa, honey, green tea polyphenols, and essential oils, were brought up in this literature review. Such products demonstrated a promising antimicrobial activity against common endodontic pathogens, particularly Enterococcus faecalis. Several studies reported comparable antibacterial efficacy to conventional irrigants under laboratory conditions, while also offering advantages, such as lower toxicity, improved biocompatibility, and additional biological benefits, including anti-inflammatory and regenerative effects. However, most available evidence is derived from in-vitro studies, and significant variation exists in extraction methods, concentrations, and study protocols. Overall, herbal products show considerable potential as alternative or adjunctive agents in endodontic therapy. Nevertheless, further well-designed clinical trials and standardized formulations are required before their routine clinical application can be recommended.