Role of herbs in root canal irrigation-A review

Abstract

One of the major objectives of a root canal treatment is to disinfect the root canal system. Irrigation is carried out to reduce the number of bacteria in the root canals. For this purpose, a wide variety of synthetic drugs are available today but due to the ineffectiveness, safety concerns and side effects of these synthetic drugs, the herbal alternatives for endodontic irrigants might be advantageous. Herbal alternatives are popular mainly due to their easy availability, cost effectiveness, increased shelf life and low toxicity. Thus this review aims at providing a comprehensive overview of the various herbal endodontic irrigants and their efficacy in carrying out root canal irrigation.