Folklore Herbal Remedies Used in Dental Care in Northern India and Their Pharmacological Potential

Objective: The aim of the work was to carry out an ethnopharmacological survey of plants used by trado-medical practitioners (TMPs) and villagers in interior parts of northern India for various diseases of teeth and in dental care.
Methods: A survey was conducted about medicinal plants used by these traditional healers in different regions of northern India specially Himachal Pradesh (Shimla, Dharamshala, Kangra, Mandi, Kullu, Manali), Rajasthan (Churu, SriGanganagar, Hanumangarh), Punjab (Sangrur, Ludhiana, Bhatinda, Patiala, Ferozepur, Faridkot), Haryana (Hissar, Jind, Panchkula) and Uttar Pradesh (Agra, Meerut, Moradabad, Mathura) for the treatment of various dental problems. This manuscript is a compilation of herbs being used in folklore medicine by villagers in interior parts of northern India for various diseases of teeth and in dental care. The authors have also tried to collate the pharmacological potentials of these medicinal plants.
Results: Results obtained showed that usage of herbs in dental disorders was maximum in Himachal Pardesh with almost 45 different plants being used by the local people for different disorders. The awareness of usage of plants for dental disorders was very less in Punjab and Haryana. In contrast out of the number of plants given below, a maximum number of 65 plants were present in Punjab and Haryana states.
Conclusion: Even though the efficacy of the remedies alluded to by the respondents cannot be claimed to be exact, the people used more herbal medicine than orthodox. This survey provides a template for dental scientists for further screening and research on these plants and formulates new drugs for dental disorders.

Author(s): Vikas Gupta*, Parveen Bansal, Renu Bansal, Payal Mittal, Sanjiv Kumar

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