Nature's remedies for periodontal diseases - "a look into the backyard"

Herbal medicine has been globally accepted has an alternative or complementary mode of therapy both in the medical and dental arena since decades. Inflammation of the structures that surround the tooth, if not treated, can result in infection and subsequent tooth loss. Literature review comments largely on the overuse of antibiotics which has led to the development of bacterial resistance Hence, there has been a shift to plant sources with pharmacological benefits. A wide range of herbal extracts with antimicrobial action have been explored and added to dentifrices and mouth rinses to reduce bacterial load. However, detailed research should be carried out on to test these herbs for their safety, quality assurance and efficacy prior to their use. In this paper, an attempt has been made to highlight the various herbal extracts that has been used to treat chronic periodontitis.