Herbal Way of Remineralization- New Frontier in Dentistry

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The prevention of dental decay and treatment of oral health are ongoing challenge until today. Dental caries is a dynamic process characterized by alternating periods of demineralization and remineralization. The present era of preventive and minimally invasive dentistry clearly dominates the need for developing newer approaches to remineralize enamel caries lesions. With growing interest in the field of phytotherapeutics, because of their antimicrobial properties various plant extracts have been studied and used in the field of preventive dentistry. The majority of herbal agents contain polyphenolic active ingredients in nature. Certain polyphenol compounds are effective in killing bacteria or inhibiting biofilms, and to regulate the de/remineralization of dental hard tissue. Various clinical trials have been performed assessing the potential use of herbal products in caries prevention.

AIM: The aim of this review article is to put a light on various herbal products that can be used for remineralization of Incipient caries lesions.

METHOD:  A literature search was conducted using the keywords “Herbs” and “Remineralization” published since 2020 in English and Italian in the following databases: PubMed, CINAHL, Med Line. Excluding items which did not meet the inclusion criteria, 35 articles were included in the review.

CONCLUSION: To prevent dental caries and remineralize white spot lesions, herbal-based phytochemicals and bioflavonoids will be more well-liked than synthetic chemical derivatives and fluoride-based systems.