Biomedical applications of phytomedicines: Dental perspective

Introduction: Ayurveda is the ancient Indian system of health care and longevity. Ayurvedic treatment is aimed at the patient as an organic whole, and treatment consists of salubrious use of drugs, diets, and certain practices. Currently, Ayurveda is widely practiced in the Hindustan peninsula (India and the neighboring countries) and in recent years, there has been a resurgence of herbs in economically developed countries such as those in Europe, United States, and Japan. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was made in PubMed, MEDLINE, LILACS/BBO, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, sciencedirect, and Google Scholar databases. Results: Herbs have been used for centuries to prevent and control disease. Herbal extracts are effective because they interact with specific chemical receptors within the body and are in a pharmacodynamics sense, drugs themselves. Taking into consideration the ineffectiveness, potential side effects, and safety concerns of synthetic drugs, the herbal alternatives for dental usage might prove to be advantageous. Conclusion: Phytomedicine has been used in dentistry as an anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, analgesic, sedative and also as endodontic irrigant. Herbal preparations can be derived from the root, leaves, seeds, stem, and flowers.