Herbal Dentifrices for Prevention of Dental Caries in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Despite a large number of trials conducted on the use of herbal oral care products to reduce dental plaque or gingivitis, the results are conflicting and inconclusive. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of herbal dentifrices in caries prevention in children and adolescents and to ascertain the potential of herbal dentifrices to remineralize white spot lesions, reduce halitosis, and improve gingival and periodontal health in children with special healthcare needs (SCHN) and among orthodontic patients. A comprehensive search was designed and conducted using several databases. The articles were independently screened for eligibility by two reviewers. Seven of the 6,940 studies were found to meet the eligibility criteria. A meta-analysis showed that for bacterial scores, the standard mean difference was estimated to be 0.6 [95% confidence interval (CI): −0.78, 1.99] and was statistically insignificant ( p = 0.39). Herbal dentifrice is evidenced as equally effective in reducing bacterial count and altering bacterial plaque when compared to nonherbal dentifrices within the confines of the included studies. To verify the definitive use of herbal dentifrices for daily use, further research, including randomized controlled trials (RCT) of sufficient quality, would be recommended. How to cite this article Saikia A, Sivasubramanian A, Muthu MS, et al. Herbal Dentifrices for Prevention of Dental Caries in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2024;17(2):229–236.