Triphala and its efficacy in treating gingival diseases: A systematic review

Aims and Objectives: The aim of the study is to assess the efficacy of triphala in treating gingival diseases. Materials and Methods: A literature review was performed using Medline, PubMed, Wiley, ScienceDirect, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Scopus, and Grey literature using MeSH terms - Triphala, gingivitis, and dentistry. Of a total of 251 titles appeared from various sources, 243 articles were screened and 27 were related to the research question. This review was reported according to the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses guidelines. Results: Seven trials were included and they were all compared with chlorhexidine. Among the seven trials, five found statistically significant differences favoring the effectiveness of triphala mouthwash. No meta-analysis was performed due to the clinical heterogeneity and differences in the reporting of data among the included studies. Conclusion: In the available literature, the multiple beneficial effects of triphala was found to be effective in treating gingival diseases as well as equally effective to the gold standard mouthwash chlorhexidine in improving gingival health.