FROM ROOTS TO REMEDIES: THE SCIENCE OF PHYTOTHERAPY IN PERIODONTICS

  • Unique Paper ID: 195061
  • PageNo: 6273-6282
  • Abstract:
  • Periodontal diseases are long-lasting inflammatory conditions that affect the structures supporting the teeth. They are mainly caused by microbial biofilm and tissue damage due to the body's response. Traditional periodontal treatment mostly involves mechanical cleaning along with additional antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory medications. While these treatments work, using them for a long time can cause side effects, alter the normal oral microbiota, and contribute to the growing issue of antimicrobial resistance. Recently, phytotherapy has drawn attention as a supportive option in periodontal care because of the healing properties of medicinal plants. Herbal products have many biological activities, such as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, pain-relieving, anti-collagenase, and wound-healing effects. These activities help control periodontal inflammation and promote tissue repair. A narrative review of the literature was conducted, including published in-vitro studies, animal experiments, clinical trials, and systematic reviews that focus on herbal agents used in periodontology. We evaluated medicinal plants and natural products like green tea, miswak, propolis, pomegranate, amla, aloe vera, triphala, oil pulling agents, licorice, Arimedadi Taila, noni, betel leaf, chamomile, cranberry, curcumin, and Nigella sativa for their mechanisms of action, clinical applications, benefits, and limitations as additions to conventional periodontal treatment. Evidence from clinical studies shows that many phytotherapeutic agents can significantly improve periodontal indicators, such as plaque index, gingival index, bleeding on probing, probing pocket depth, and microbial load when used alongside scaling and root planing. Several herbal formulations produce results similar to those of conventional chemical agents, often with fewer side effects and greater patient acceptance. However, differences in herbal formulations, variations in dosage, lack of standardization, and insufficient long-term clinical trials are significant drawbacks. More well-designed randomized clinical studies are needed to establish standardized treatment protocols and reinforce the evidence for including phytotherapy in modern periodontal care.

Copyright & License

Copyright © 2026 Authors retain the copyright of this article. This article is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

BibTeX

@article{195061,
        author = {MOHANAPRIYA AYYASAMY and MATHURA MURALIDHARAN and MONICA BERNARD NOEL and MONISHA SENJI ELUMALAI and Dr. DEEPSHIKA SARAVANAN and Dr.VIJAY V.K and Dr. MARIA SUBASH AARON MUTHURAJ},
        title = {FROM ROOTS TO REMEDIES: THE SCIENCE OF PHYTOTHERAPY IN PERIODONTICS},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {12},
        number = {10},
        pages = {6273-6282},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=195061},
        abstract = {Periodontal diseases are long-lasting inflammatory conditions that affect the structures supporting the teeth. They are mainly caused by microbial biofilm and tissue damage due to the body's response. Traditional periodontal treatment mostly involves mechanical cleaning along with additional antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory medications. While these treatments work, using them for a long time can cause side effects, alter the normal oral microbiota, and contribute to the growing issue of antimicrobial resistance. Recently, phytotherapy has drawn attention as a supportive option in periodontal care because of the healing properties of medicinal plants. Herbal products have many biological activities, such as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, pain-relieving, anti-collagenase, and wound-healing effects. These activities help control periodontal inflammation and promote tissue repair. A narrative review of the literature was conducted, including published in-vitro studies, animal experiments, clinical trials, and systematic reviews that focus on herbal agents used in periodontology. We evaluated medicinal plants and natural products like green tea, miswak, propolis, pomegranate, amla, aloe vera, triphala, oil pulling agents, licorice, Arimedadi Taila, noni, betel leaf, chamomile, cranberry, curcumin, and Nigella sativa for their mechanisms of action, clinical applications, benefits, and limitations as additions to conventional periodontal treatment. Evidence from clinical studies shows that many phytotherapeutic agents can significantly improve periodontal indicators, such as plaque index, gingival index, bleeding on probing, probing pocket depth, and microbial load when used alongside scaling and root planing. Several herbal formulations produce results similar to those of conventional chemical agents, often with fewer side effects and greater patient acceptance. However, differences in herbal formulations, variations in dosage, lack of standardization, and insufficient long-term clinical trials are significant drawbacks. More well-designed randomized clinical studies are needed to establish standardized treatment protocols and reinforce the evidence for including phytotherapy in modern periodontal care.},
        keywords = {Phytotherapy, Alternate therapy, periodontitis, adjuvant therapy, punica granatum, glycyrrhiza glabra, Phyllanthus emblica, Camellia Sinensis},
        month = {March},
        }

Cite This Article

AYYASAMY, M., & MURALIDHARAN, M., & NOEL, M. B., & ELUMALAI, M. S., & SARAVANAN, D. D., & V.K, D., & MUTHURAJ, D. M. S. A. (2026). FROM ROOTS TO REMEDIES: THE SCIENCE OF PHYTOTHERAPY IN PERIODONTICS. International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology (IJIRT), 12(10), 6273–6282.

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