Herbal Extract Mouthwash - A Promising Solution for Dental Caries

Dental caries is one of the most prevalent oral diseases. It is highly prevalent among children and persists to be an important public health problem worldwide. Studies reveal that developing countries continue to show a trend of increase in dental caries. Dental caries is a process where the enamel and the dentine are demineralized by the products of bacterial fermentation. It results from the accumulation of plaque on the surface of the teeth and biochemical activities of complex microorganisms. The most common initial colonizers on the tooth surface are the Streptococcus species, predominantly, S. oralis, S. sanguis, and S. mitis, with S. mutans etc. The most common methods for maintaining good oral hygiene are brushing and washing the mouth with tooth pastes and mouthwashes that have antimicrobial properties and can prevent the degradation of tooth enamel. Most commercial mouthwash contains alcohol, which may be lethal. The formulated mouthwashes using vegetables and spices were proved to be effective in the inhibition of the growth of caries causing bacteria due to antimicrobial activity evaluated by MIC. So, herbal mouthwashes that are natural, gentle, easy to prepare, inexpensive, and free from unwanted synthetic chemicals (dyes) and additives and safe for all. Thus, formulated herbal mouth washes would be better solution to combat dental caries.