Abstract

Periodontal diseases are a group of disorders characterized by an inflammatory reaction of periodontium induced by bacterial challenge leading to gingival inflammation, periodontal tissue destruction and alveolar bone loss. The use of naturally derived agents is becoming more common. Many of these agents contain a mixture of active pharmaceutical ingredients combined based on their additive or synergistic properties. The aim of the present study is to review the literature about the use of herbal drugs and other natural products in the treatment of periodontal diseases and their antiinflammatory properties. A web search through Pubmed and hand search including several dental journals was performed up to December 2015, using the keywords (herbal anti-inflammatory agents OR herbal antioxidant) AND (periodontitis OR periodontal disease OR periodontosis). Three topics were investigated: 1) major herbal agents and their biological properties compared with chlorhexidine, the most used chemical agent in periodontal therapy 2) toothpaste, gel and mouthrinse formulations as principal vehicles for herbal products 3) In vitro and in vivo studies to test their ability in reducing periodontal inflammation. The search revealed numerous papers investigating herbal products in the treatment of periodontal diseases. As bacteria develop resistance to classical antibiotics, studies aim to formulate alternative options for controlling periodontal pathogens using plants with anti-inflammatory properties.

Keywords: Herbal anti-inflammatory agents, herbal anti-oxidants, periodontal disease, triphala.

Graphical Abstract