Health Benefits and Application of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni in Dentistry

Abstract

A wide range of artificial and synthetic products have been replaced by the natural products for daily use. The natural products are believed to have more advantages and less adverse effects. The plant products such as stem, flower, fruit, seed, leaves, etc have been experimented. Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni, a perennial shrub which is a native of South America. During World War II, England used it as a sweetener as sugar was not available. By 1970, it was used as a sweetener in Japan. In 1994, US approved steviol glycosides as functional ingredient in dietary supplements. It is non-caloric sweetener which is 200-300 times sweeter than table sugar. Its use as a sweetener was approved by FDA in 2011. There is growing evidence supporting the use of stevia in diabetes, hypertension, weight loss, etc. Dental caries is an infectious microbiologic disease of the tooth that results in localized dissolution and destruction of calcified tissues. There has been an increased interest on antimicrobial and anti-plaque activity of stevia mouth rinse and chewing gums. Researches on the aqueous and alcoholic extracts of stevia have also been conducted to evaluate its potential advantages in the dental field. This review describes in detail the health benefits and application of stevia in dentistry. Keywords: Stevia, Dental, Medical