Effects of herbal and non-herbal toothpastes on plaque and gingivitis: A clinical comparative study

Efficacy of a Herbal Toothpaste During Active Periodontal Treatment: A Clinical Study

Backgound/Objectives: This study investigated the efficacy of a herbal toothpaste containing Aloe vera (test group) compared with a sodium bicarbonate toothpaste (active control group) and a standard toothpaste (benchmark group) on periodontitis treatment outcomes. Methods: Fifty-four periodontitis patients were randomly allocated into three groups. The patients received mechanical instrumentation and instruction on oral hygiene using a toothbrush with the toothpastes and dental floss. The patients were evaluated at baseline (T0), week 4 (T1), and week 12 (T2) after complete scaling and root planing. During the visits, the plaque score (PS), bleeding on probing (BOP), probing depth (PD) and clinical attachment level (CAL) were assessed and analyzed. Results: The comparison groups had similar PS and BOP means at baseline. At T1 and T2, both scores were reduced; however, there was no significant difference in PS among the three groups. A significant reduction in BOP among the groups was observed (p < 0.01) at T1. The PDs in all groups were significantly reduced after treatment. The CAL reduction was greater in the test group compared with the benchmark and the active control group. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in the mean CAL among time points in the benchmark and the active control groups. Conclusions: The herbal toothpaste containing Aloe vera significantly decreased gingival inflammation, PD, and CAL over the standard and active control toothpaste in periodontitis patients during active periodontal treatment.

Comparative Evaluation of Herbal Versus Non-herbal Dentifrice in Maintaining Oral Health of Young Adults

BACKGROUND

Dental plaque may be attributed as a precursor to various oral health problems like dental caries, periodontal disease, halitosis, etc. With an ever-increasing awareness about the adverse effects of chemical formulations, emphasis is now being laid on the usage of herbal ingredients, as they are safer for long-term use in addition to their medicinal benefits.

AIM

The present study aims to assess the anti-plaque and anti-inflammatory efficacy of herbal toothpaste compared to synthetic toothpaste among 20-40-year-old patients in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh.

METHODOLOGY

In this study, 130 subjects aged between 20 and 40 years with poor oral hygiene status and signs of gingival inflammation corresponding with chronic marginal gingivitis were selected. Subjects in Group 1 were prescribed herbal toothpaste (KUDOS Ayurveda), whereas patients in Group 2 were administered non-herbal toothpaste. Clinical parameters of gingival health specifically gingival index (GI), patient hygiene performance (PHP), and approximate plaque index (API) were recorded at baseline, 14 days, 28 days, and 42 days. Chi-square test, student-independent t-test, and paired t-test were performed to find significant differences in various variables between the two groups at different follow-up visits.

RESULTS

At the end of the study, a significant reduction in GI and API scores was obtained, along with increased PHP scores. The p-value was set at 0.05, and the power of the study was set at 0.95. There was a statistically significant reduction (p < 0.05) in GI and API and an improvement in PHP scores at various time intervals in Group 1 as compared to Group 2.  Conclusion: Regular application of herbal extract dentifrices for 42 days provided a significant reduction of dental plaque and improvement in overall gingival health without any adverse effects. This instilled motivation in the patients to uphold proper oral hygiene. Hence, herbal dentifrices could be prescribed as an adjunct to periodontal therapy in the maintenance phase.

Comparative Evaluation of Anti-microbial Activity of Herbal, Homeopathic, and Conventional Dentifrices Against Oral Microflora Using the Disc Diffusion Method: An In Vitro Study

Aim To assess the antimicrobial activity of herbal, homeopathic, and conventional dentifrices against oral microorganisms. Methodology Mueller Hilton agar was used to cultivate distinct strains of Streptococcus mutans and Enterococcus faecalis, whereas Candida albicans was cultured on a potato dextrose agar medium. Diffusion ratios of 1:5, 1:10, and 1:15 were obtained by diluting 1 gram of each dentifrice (KP Namboodiri, Homeodent, and Colgate Strong Teeth) in 4 ml, 9 ml, and 14 ml of distilled water, respectively. The culture medium was filled with sterile discs. Twenty μl of each dilution of prepared dentifrice formulations were incorporated using a micropipette. The agar plates were incubated for 24 hours at 37ºC. Result The findings indicate that there was a higher zone of inhibition against Streptococcus mutans with herbal dentifrice at 10 mm, 8 mm, and 6.5 mm, followed by conventional dentifrice at 10 mm, 7.5 mm, and 7 mm, and the lowest with homeopathic dentifrice at 8 mm, 7 mm, and 7 mm at 1:5, 1:10 and 1:15 dilutions, respectively. Conventional dentifrice was found to inhibit Enterococcus faecalis at 9 mm, 8 mm, and 7 mm with 1:5, 1:10, and 1:15 dilutions followed by herbal dentifrice at 9 mm, 7 mm with 1:5, 1:10 dilutions, and no inhibition at 1:15 dilution. In contrast, homeopathic dentifrice displayed no inhibition at 1:5, 1:10, and 1:15 dilutions. Neither homeopathic nor conventional dentifrices inhibited Candida albicans, but herbal dentifrices showed a 10 mm zone of inhibition at 1:10 dilution. Conclusion Conventional and herbal dentifrices were found to be more effective against Streptococcus mutans than the homeopathic dentifrice used in the study, whereas herbal dentifrice was more effective against Candida albicans when compared to conventional and homeopathic dentifrices.

Herbal Dentifrices for Prevention of Dental Caries in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review

Despite a large number of trials conducted on the use of herbal oral care products to reduce dental plaque or gingivitis, the results are conflicting and inconclusive. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of herbal dentifrices in caries prevention in children and adolescents and to ascertain the potential of herbal dentifrices to remineralize white spot lesions, reduce halitosis, and improve gingival and periodontal health in children with special healthcare needs (SCHN) and among orthodontic patients. A comprehensive search was designed and conducted using several databases. The articles were independently screened for eligibility by two reviewers. Seven of the 6,940 studies were found to meet the eligibility criteria. A meta-analysis showed that for bacterial scores, the standard mean difference was estimated to be 0.6 [95% confidence interval (CI): -0.78, 1.99] and was statistically insignificant (p = 0.39). Herbal dentifrice is evidenced as equally effective in reducing bacterial count and altering bacterial plaque when compared to nonherbal dentifrices within the confines of the included studies. To verify the definitive use of herbal dentifrices for daily use, further research, including randomized controlled trials (RCT) of sufficient quality, would be recommended.

How to cite this article

Saikia A, Sivasubramanian A, Muthu MS, et al. Herbal Dentifrices for Prevention of Dental Caries in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2024;17(2):229-236.

Evaluation of Anti-plaque and Anti-gingivitis Efficacy of Two Commercially Available Herbal and Non-herbal Toothpastes

BACKGROUND

 Plaque-associated oral disease affects a considerable portion of the population and is considered one of the major causes of tooth loss. The presence of plaque may be the reason for dental caries, gingivitis, periodontal problems, and halitosis. Many mechanical aids are used to control plaque, including toothbrushes, dental floss, mouth rinses, and dentifrices, and the most effective method of controlling gingivitis is supragingival plaque control.

AIM AND OBJECTIVE

To evaluate and compare the anti-plaque and anti-gingivitis efficacy of commercially available herbal toothpaste (Meswak) and non-herbal toothpaste (Pepsodent).

MATERIALS AND METHOD

50 subjects aged between 10 and 15 years with a full complement of dentition were included in the study. The two toothpastes were provided to the subjects in plain white tubes by the investigator. Subjects were instructed to brush their teeth twice daily using the given toothpaste for 21 days. Plaque and gingival scores on days 0, 7, and 21 were recorded, and the data were subjected to statistical analysis.

RESULT

At the end of the 21-day study, there was a statistically significant difference between the groups for plaque and gingival scores.

CONCLUSION

The plaque and gingival scores were significantly reduced throughout the study in both groups. In comparison, the herbal dentifrices show more effectiveness in reducing plaque and gingival scores, but no statistically significant difference was seen between the two groups.

Antimicrobial Effects of Gum Arabic-Silver Nanoparticles against Oral Pathogens

Dental caries is considered one of the most prevalent oral diseases worldwide, with a high rate of morbidity among populations. It is a chronic infectious disease with a multifactorial etiology that leads to the destruction of the dental tissues. Due to their antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and antioxidant properties; silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are incorporated in dental products to help prevent infectious oral diseases. In this study, the antimicrobial effects of AgNPs synthesized using Gum Arabic extracts (GAE) were examined. The GA-AgNPs were synthesized and characterized using ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometer, dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The antimicrobial activity of the GA-AgNPs was evaluated on Streptococcus sanguinis (S. sanguinis), Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans), Lactobacillus acidophilus (L. acidophilus), and Candida albicans (C. albicans) using agar disc diffusion and microdilution assays. The antibiofilm of GA-AgNPs was evaluated on the surface of human tooth enamel that had been exposed to S. mutans with and without the GA-AgNPs using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). GA-AgNPs were spherical in shape with a particle size distribution between 4 and 26 nm. The GA-AgNPs exhibited antimicrobial activity against all the tested oral microbes, with GA-AgNPs_0.4g having higher antimicrobial activity. The GA-AgNPs_0.4g inhibited S. mutans adhesion and biofilm formation on the surface of the tooth enamel. Therefore, this study supports the prospective implementation of the plant extract-mediated AgNPs in dental healthcare.

Effect of herbal and nonherbal dentifrice on gingival health - A clinical study

The main causative factor for periodontal diseases is dental plaque. The most effective way to remove plaque is tooth brushing using dentifrice. Recently, due to the side effects of commercially available chemical dentifrices, herbal toothpaste is gaining popularity. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of herbal and nonherbal toothpaste on gingival health. The current study involved 100 outpatients reported to Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals. Each patient received oral prophylaxis and for 3 days, they were told not to use any other oral hygiene products. The subjects were assigned randomly into the test group (Colgate Herbal) and control group (Colgate). Thirty days later, the plaque and gingival indices were recorded and compared with the baseline using an unpaired t-test (SPSS software, version 23). The mean plaque index at baseline was 1.4 ± 0.6 (herbal) and 1.3 ± 0.7 (nonherbal), and after 30 days, the scores were 1.0 ± 0.5 and 0.9 ± 0.3, respectively. The mean gingival index score for herbal and nonherbal dentifrice at baseline was 1.19 ± 0.5 and 0.9 ± 0.2, and at 30^th day, it was 1.1 ± 0.4 and 1.0 ± 0.4, respectively. However, there was no statistically significant difference between the groups. Herbal dentifrices are just as effective as nonherbal dentifrices at reducing plaque and improving gingival health.

Chemical vs. natural toothpaste: which formulas for which properties? A scoping review

Introduction

The proliferation of the oral care industry has made it more challenging for shoppers to zero in on the best possible toothpaste for their preventative requirements. It also makes the toothpaste's various components safer.

Objective

The researchers set out to evaluate the state of information about the biological properties and cytotoxicity of adult toothpaste so that they might make some informed recommendations.

Methods

A scoping review of research published between 2015 and 2020 according to PRISMA guidelines was performed.

Results

In vitro clinical trials account for 44% of the papers, in vivo clinical trials for 25%, systematic reviews for 19%, and metaanalyses for 12%. They have active chemical components that have been shown to be antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, or desensitizing. Herbal toothpaste has these characteristics and is very secure to use. Toothpaste with sodium lauryl sulfate has been found to be harmful.

Conclusions

Scientists have investigated the biological effects of a wide range of chemically active compounds and plant extracts. Herbal toothpaste, it has been discovered, is both efficient and secure. Companies making toothpaste should be required to clearly label the product's qualities, active ingredients, and potentially harmful ingredients on the packaging.

The Effect of Dental Paste from Coconut Butter as a Replacement to Toothpaste on Reducing Debris Index and Plaque Index in Class 3 to 5 Students in Elementary School

The coconut tree is a multipurpose plant because all parts of it, from the roots to the coconut fruit, can be used for clothing, food and shelter. Coconut fruit contains calories, water, protein, carbohydrates, fat, calcium, iron, vitamins A, B and C as well as edible parts. Besides being processed into coconut oil (coconutoil) it also contains many benefits for human health, coconut can also be processed into Coconut Butter which can be made as toothpaste. Many elementary school age children still have dirty teeth in their oral cavity up to 67.3%. Therefore, researchers want to know the effect of toothpaste from coconut butter as a substitute for toothpaste on the reduction of index debris and index plaque in students in grades 3 to 5 in elementary schools.This type of research uses Quasi Experiment (Pseudo Experiment). The research design used a pre-test and post-pest approach. Pre-test. The samples in this study were 32 grade 3 students, 34 grade 4 students and 34 grade 5 students, so the total number of students was 100 students. Sampling using purposive sampling technique, and statistical tests using the Wilcoxom test. The results showed that the debris index before brushing teeth using coconut batter as a substitute for toothpaste obtained an average value of 1.8, while for the debris index after brushing teeth using coconut batter as a substitute for toothpaste, the average value was 0.4. Judging from the p Value = 0.000, the probability is smaller than 0.05 (p <0.05), so H0 is rejected and H1 is accepted, thus these results indicate that there is a significant difference between the debris index before brushing teeth using coconut batter as a substitute for toothpaste. and index debris after brushing teeth using coconut batter as a substitute for toothpaste. Plaque index before brushing teeth using coconut batter as a substitute for toothpaste obtained an average value of 4.4, while for the index plaque after brushing your teeth using coconut batter as a substitute for toothpaste, the average value is 2.4. Judging from the p value = 0.000, the probability is smaller than 0.05 (p <0.05), so H0 is rejected and H1 is accepted, thus these results indicate that there is a significant difference between the plaque index before brushing your teeth using coconut batter as a substitute for toothpaste. and index plaque after brushing your teeth using coconut batter as a substitute for toothpaste

Effectiveness of herbal oral care products in reducing dental plaque & gingivitis - a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Despite the large number of trials conducted using herbal oral care products for the reduction of dental plaque or gingivitis, results are conflicting and inconclusive.

Objective

To assess the effectiveness of herbal oral care products compared to conventional products in reducing dental plaque and gingivitis adults.

Methods

We searched the following databases for Randomised controlled trials (RCTs): MEDLINE Ovid, EMBASE Ovid etc. which yielded 493 trails. Of which 24 RCTs comparing herbal toothpaste or mouth rinse with over the counter toothpaste or mouth rinse in adults aged 18 to 65 years were included. Two authors extracted information and assessed the methodological quality of the included studies using Risk of Bias. Meta-analyses using the random-effects model were conducted for four outcomes for tooth paste and mouth rinse respectively. Mean difference (MD) or standardized mean difference (SMD) were used to estimate the effect, with 95% confidence intervals.

Results

A total of 1597 adults participated in 24 RCT studies. These were classified as herbal toothpaste (HTP) (15 trials, 899 participants) and herbal mouth rinse (HMR) (9 trials, 698 participants) compared with non-herbal toothpaste (NHTP) or non-herbal mouth rinse (NHMR). We found that HTP was superior over NHTP (SMD 1.95, 95% CI (0.97–2.93)) in plaque reduction. The long-term use of NHMR was superior in reduction of dental plaque over HMR (SMD -2.61, 95% (CI 4.42–0.80)). From subgroup analysis it showed that HTP was not superior over fluoride toothpaste (SMD 0.99, 95% CI (0.14–2.13)) in reducing dental plaque. However, HTP was favoured over non-fluoride toothpaste (SMD 4.64, 95% CI (2.23–7.05)).

Conclusion

For short-term reduction in dental plaque, current evidence suggests that HTP is as effective as compared to NHTP; however, evidence is from low quality studies.

Efficacy of herbal dentifrice on the prevention of plaque and gingivitis as compared to conventional dentifrice: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective

The aim of this study was to review literature on the effects of herbal dentifrice compared to conventional dentifrice on plaque and gingival inflammation.

Materials and Methods

MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and major journals were explored for studies up to September 30, 2017. A comprehensive search was designed and the articles were independently screened for eligibility by two reviewers. Randomized controlled clinical trials, in which oral prophylaxis was undertaken before the intervention was introduced into the oral cavity using toothbrush were included. Where appropriate, a meta-analysis (MA) was performed and standardized mean differences (SMDs) were calculated.

Results

Ten articles out of 1378 titles were found to meet the eligibility criteria. A MA showed that for plaque intervention the SMD was 2.14; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.88-3.41, P = 0.0009; test for heterogeneity: P < 0.00001, I² = 96% in favor of conventional dentifrice; and for gingival inflammation, the SMD was 1.37; 95% CI: 0.49-2.26, P = 0.002; test for heterogeneity: P < 0.00001, I² = 94% which also was in favor of conventional dentifrice. Subgroup analysis for plaque intervention and gingival inflammation in case of long-term (more than 4 weeks and up to 6 months) and short-term effects (minimum of 4 weeks) of herbal dentifrice showed no difference when compared to conventional dentifrice.

Conclusion

Currently, there is no high-quality evidence to support or abnegate the anti-plaque and anti-gingivitis effects of the herbal dentifrice.

Dentifrice Containing Extract of Rosmarinus officinalis Linn.: An Antimicrobial Evaluation

Abstract This study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of a dentifrice containing an alcoholic extract of rosemary on oral bacteria, compared to a commercially available herbal dentifrice. Standard strains of Streptococcus mutans (ATCC 25175), Streptococcus oralis (ATCC 9811) and Lactobacillus rhamnosus (ATCC 7469) were used, as well as different toothpastes based on rosemary (TR), on propolis (TH), triclosan (positive control) (TPC) and non-fluoridated dentifrice (negative control) (TNC). Bacteria were seeded in Petri dishes and paper discs soaked with dilutions of dentifrice placed on the plates. The inhibition halos were analyzed. It was observed that TR did not show statistical difference in relation to the TH to inhibit S. mutans and S. oralis, while TH was more active against L. rhamnosus. The toothpaste containing rosemary extract had the ability to inhibit the growth of S. mutans, S. oralis and L. rhamnosus, revealing an antimicrobial activity similar to commercially available toothpastes for inhibition of S. mutans and S. oralis.