Herbal Remedies for The Treatment of Periodontitis – A Review

Periodontal disease is one of the world's most serious public health issues, and it has become a widespread cause of tooth loss in the general population. Periodontitis is an immuno-inflammatory disease that damages the soft tissues and bones present around the tooth for support. If left untreated, periodontal diseases can lead to serious health issues. The periodontal treatment aims to eradicate gingival inflammation, eliminate bleeding, reduce periodontal pocket depth, arrest destruction of soft tissue, and bone. The therapeutic approach for periodontitis is to eliminate the bacteria, with the use of chemotherapeutic agents systemically or locally. In recent years, there is an increasing interest in the use of natural antibacterial and antifungal agents, because of the necessity of finding safer treatment against bacterial and fungal infections. Over the last decade, herbal and Ayurvedic drugs have become a subject of world importance, as they possess better therapeutic value and fewer adverse effects as compared to modern medicines. Herbal products are preferred over conventional drugs due to their wide biological activity, higher safety margin, and lower costs. Furthermore, conventional drugs are known to cause various side effects, and continuous intake has resulted in antibiotic resistance. Thus, herbal medicines are being used increasingly as dietary supplements to fight or prevent common diseases. The aim of the present article is to an overall review of the potential herbal remedies widely used for periodontal diseases. Krishnananda Kamath K*, Mithun Kumar, A.R. Shabharaya Department of Pharmaceutics, Srinivas College of Pharmacy, Valachil, Farangipete Post Mangalore, Karnataka 574143 India. Submitted: 20 October 2021 Accepted: 25 October 2021 Published: 30 November 2021 www.ijppr. humanjournals.com Citation: Krishnananda Kamath K et al. Ijppr.Human, 2021; Vol. 22 (4): 61-70. 62 INTRODUCTION Periodontal diseases are recognized as one of the major public health problems throughout the world. Periodontitis is a set of inflammatory diseases that affects the periodontium that is the tissues that surround and support the teeth. Bacteria plaque, a sticky, colorless film that constantly forms on teeth is the main cause of periodontal disease. Loss of attachment between the tooth and gums leads to the formation of deep periodontal pockets or lesions which provides the ideal condition for bacterial growth. In recent years a wide range of antimicrobial agents has been evolved to treat periodontitis. Various antimicrobials and chemotherapeutic agents, such as chlorhexidine, triclosan, cetylpyridinium chloride, have been tried and tested in the management of periodontal diseases. Many antibacterial are applied directly to the mouth for the treatment of periodontal diseases through fibers (hollow and monolithic), strips and compacts, films, microparticles, gels, and nanoparticles. Although several chemical agents are commercially available, their undesirable side effects such as vomiting, diarrhea, and tooth staining became a major concern. Hence, the search for alternative products continues, and herbal constituents isolated from plants are considered good alternatives to synthetic chemicals.High beneficial and cost-effectiveness of herbal drugs may become a promising alternative that can be used as an adjunct to periodontal treatment. Due to its good patient acceptance and tolerance their usage is not associated with antibiotic resistance.Due to its multifactorial etiology and complex disease process, the treatment of periodontitis is still a formidable task to dentists. Therefore, herbal remedies have been sought to achieve antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-collagenase effects. This review discusses the possible mechanisms by which phytotherapeutic agents could function in the adjunctive treatment of periodontal disease and it gives an overview of the potential of herbal medicine in the management of periodontitis.