Search

Herbal products in dentistry have grown significantly. In the current scenario, herbal products are believed to be an effective adjunct to other medications. The present study aims to evaluate Eucalyptus oil and miswak (Salvadora persica) toothpaste for its efficacy in observable reduction in plaque and gingival bleeding. Sixty participants with gingivitis were enrolled in the present study. The study included an interim period (washout) comparing miswak and Eucalyptus toothpaste. Plaque scores were measured at designated time intervals. Both herbal toothpastes significantly decreased plaque index. Nevertheless, with relation to miswak (P = 0.002), Eucalyptus oil-based toothpaste exhibited reduction in bleeding scores. When participants were asked to return to their routine toothpaste, no changes were observed. Results from the study showed that the toothpaste containing Eucalyptus showed a significant decrease in gingival bleeding. More investigations should be looked on the medicinal applications of Eucalyptus toothpaste on commonly seen periodontal parameters.

Introduction: Resources for oral health care remain limited in in rural and backward areas where an inherent need to exists to explore inexpensive cleaning aids at ease. Aim: To assess the efficiency of Miswak stick as an oral hygiene aid among madrasa-going 12–14 years old children, by comparing it with toothbrush and toothpaste in Nuh district of Haryana, India. Materials and Methods: The study population comprised of 540 madrasa-going children. 400 cases were Miswak users, whereas 140 toothbrush and toothpaste users were in the control group. Their oral hygiene status was assessed using the Gingival Index (GI), Oral hygiene index- simplified (OHI-S) and Plaque Index (PI). Decayed, Missing, Filled Teeth (DMFT) index was used to measure the dental caries incidence. The data were recorded, tabulated, and statistically analyzed. Results and Discussion: The results showed that Miswak users had significantly less mean GI score and OHI-S index scores (P = 0.001) but no statistically significant difference in PI score as compared to toothbrush and toothpaste users. Second, DMFT score was more in toothbrush and toothpaste users as compared to Miswak users. Conclusion: This study concluded that the oral hygiene status of Miswak users in the madrasa-going children of Nuh district was better than that of toothbrush and toothpaste users.

Introduction: Periodontal disease (PD), a major health problem, reportedly affects a large percentage of the adult population with multifactorial etiology including awareness and practices from family and/or their treating physician. Aim: The aim of the study was to assess the patient's oral health as well as PD awareness before and after comprehensive periodontal treatment registered at the Outpatient Department of Batterjee Medical College. Materials and Methods: The present cohort study was conducted on 120 adult patients, selectively undergoing comprehensive clinical care by the dental students of the final 2 clinical years (D4 and D5, respectively) and interns (D6) with a self-answered questionnaire. Results and Discussion: Among the majority (92%, n = 113), the usage of toothbrush and toothpaste was common before treatment like the previous studies. In addition, there was an increase in the knowledge of the word dental plaque and calculus, where the majority believed calculus to be the causative factor of PD. It was noticed that there was very little difference in the knowledge being given regarding systemic association to their oral health. Postoperatively, 70% of the patients believed that they should visit the dentist annually or biannually, but a larger percentage across all groups (them) believed that dental visits are need based. Moreover, awareness increased postoperatively in patients. As a result, the majority of them acknowledged the deleterious effects of smoking. Conclusion: A change in the patient's attitude and behavior toward oral health is achieved in a coalition with the practitioner's professionalism, empathy, and delivery of oral hygiene advice.

Introduction: Miswak is a tooth brushing stick that contains many ingredients that are beneficial for maintenance of oral hygiene. The aim of this study is to formulating a film containing miswak extract for treatment of chronic periodontitis. Materials and Methods: Here we tested the miswak raw extract invitro against Porphyromonas gingivalis and Herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1). The film was prepared using solvent casting method. Disintegration test was conducted to find the stability of the film. Results: Cytotoxicity of miswak was also tested. Minimum inhibitory concentration against P. gingivalis was 62.5 µg/mL. Therapuetic index against HSV-1 was 11.3 µg/mL. Cytotoxicity against 50% Vero cells was present at 210 µg/mL. Based on this invitro study 100 µg/mL dose was calculated to be incorporated in a film of size 0.5 mm × 0.4 mm. This film is made of polymers HPMC K 100 and Eudragit L 100. Disintegration test of the film showed that they remained stable for around 5 days. Conclusion: In the present study we formulated the miswak raw extract containing film that can act against P. gingivalis and HSV-1. So it can be used to treat chronic periodontitis by placing it in periodontal pockets.

The oral cavity harbors a diverse and abundant number of complex oral pathogens causing different oral diseases. The development of dental caries and periodontal diseases has been found to be closely associated with various gram positive and gram negative microrganisms. Miswak, a natural toothbrush, has been documented as a potent antibacterial aid and its use is encouraged in different countries because of its good taste, texture, availability, cost and beneficial effect on teeth and supporting tissues. Different researches have been carried out to evaluate the antimicrobial effects of Miswak. This review encompasses the efficacy of Miswak on suppression of oral pathogens with respect to conducted on fungi as well as cariogenic, periodontal and endodontic bacteria.

The miswak is a natural toothbrush made from the twigs of the Salvadora persica (Salvadoraceae). Its use predates the inception of Islam and is frequently advocated in the Hadith (the traditions relating to the life of Prophet Muhammad PBUH ). In addition to strengthening the gums, it prevents tooth decay, eliminating toothaches and halt further increase in decay that has already set in. It creates a fragrance in the mouth, eliminates bad odor, improves the sense of taste, and causes the teeth to glow and shine. The other parts of the tree have therapeutic values as corrective, deobstruent, liver tonic, diuretic, analgesic, anthelmintic, astringent, lithontriptic, carminative, diuretic, aphrodisiac, and stomachic. The present review is therefore an effort to give detailed survey of the literature on phytochemistry and pharmacological activities of miswak.

Background and Aims: The effectiveness of an ideal antimicrobial agent depends on its ability to kill microbes while causing minimal toxicity to host cells. Several studies have been reported on the antimicrobial effects of chewing sticks (Salvadora persica) on oral bacteria. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cytotoxic effects of Persica™ and chlorhexidine (CHX) mouthwashes on cultured human and mouse cell lines. Materials and Methods: This was an experimental study. The toxic effects of four dilutions of Persica™ and CHX mouthwashes on KB, Saos-2, J744 A1, and gingival fibroblast cells were evaluated by MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide] assay. The effect of fetal calf serum (FCS) components on the cytotoxicity of these mouthwashes was also investigated. Statistical Analysis: Analysis of variance and the Kruskal-Wallis test were used to evaluate the results. Results: The results indicated that Persica™, at concentrations higher than 0.1%, exerted a very significant cytotoxic effect on all the cell lines (P ≤ 0.01). CHX, at a concentration of 0.001%, exerted toxic effects only on gingival fibroblasts; concentrations higher than 0.001% were required to produce significant cell death in the other cell lines. At all the concentrations under study, both Persica™ and CHX exerted significantly greater cytotoxic effects in the absence of FCS than in its presence (i.e., in control culture medium). The toxicities of both mouthwashes were attenuated in the presence of FCS (10%). Conclusion: Our results indicate that both Persica™ and CHX mouthwashes are toxic to macrophage, epithelial, fibroblast, and osteoblast cells in a concentration-dependent manner.

Background and Aim: The use of chewing sticks has been well documented since ancient times in India. Chewing sticks are a good alternative to the toothbrush for maintaining oral hygiene. The present study was designed and conducted to compare and evaluate the antimicrobial effects of the aqueous extracts of neem, miswak, mango, and banyan chewing sticks against two bacterial species considered the most important in the initiation and progression of dental caries, namely Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus acidophilus, respectively. Materials and Methods: Twigs of the above mentioned chewing sticks were sun dried and powdered, and sterile aqueous solutions of 10%, 25% and 50% concentrations were prepared. Culture plates for S mutans and L acidophilus were prepared and the growth was transferred to nutrient agar and Mueller-Hinton agar; antimicrobial activity of the extracts was tested after 72 h, using the disc diffusion method. Normal saline was used as control. Results: The antimicrobial activity of neem, miswak, and mango extracts increased as their concentrations increased. Both banyan extract and saline showed no antimicrobial activity against the organisms tested. Conclusion and Recommendations: Based on the zones of inhibition, aqueous extracts of neem showed the most antimicrobial activity against S mutans, while miswak extracts showed superior antimicrobial activity against L acidophilus. We recommend further phytochemical and pharmacological studies to discover newer nonsynthetic tooth pastes and mouthwashes.