The Effects of Plant Extracts on Dental Plaque and Caries

Abstract

Daily use of an efficient anti-plaque compound, especially a formulated form in toothpaste, can be very beneficial in plaque control. Some groups of antimicrobial compounds have been studied thus far. The most important of these compounds are herbal extracts, metallic salts and phenol compounds. Each of these three groups has demonstrated positive results in clinical and laboratory studies. Herbal extracts have received special attention because of being non-chemical and non-synthetic, and they have been long used in traditional medicine ( Elvin 1980, Marsh & Bradshaw 1993).