Title:An Update on Herbal Anti-inflammatory Agents in Periodontal Therapy
Volume: 2
Issue: 1
Author(s): M. Giraudi, F. Romano and M. Aimetti
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Herbal anti-inflammatory agents, herbal anti-oxidants, periodontal disease, triphala.
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.
