EFFECT OF TRADITIONAL MEDICINAL PLANTS ON TEETH MICROFLORA

Abstract

The oral cavity provides an ideal environment for the growth of microbiota. Many of the bacterial species in the oral cavity are involved in dental caries. Acidogenic and aciduric Gram positive bacteria, metabolize sucrose to organic acid, which dissolves the calcium phosphate in the teeth resulting in decalcication and nally causing decay. Therapeutic drugs used to treat dental diseases may have many undesirable effects such as diarrhea, vomiting and tooth staining. Therefore, natural phytochemicals isolated from plants used in traditional medicines are considered as a good alternative to synthetic chemicals. Therapeutic and chemical methods are costly but there are many easily available plants which we can use for cleaning our teeth and maintaining our oral hygiene. A study was undertaken to investigate the antimicrobial effect of , , Psidium guajava Mangifera indica Anacardium occidentale Azadirachta indica and on oral normal microora. Ethanolic and aqueous extracts of the leaves were prepared and was tested against the three isolates from the oral cavity using Agar well diffusion method namely Gram positive αhaemolytic cocci in chain, Gram positive non-haemolytic cocci in chain and Gram positive bacilli. and Psidium guajava Anacardium occidentale was found to be effective against the isolates. From this study and have shown Psidium guajava Anacardium occidentale great potential to act as natural and cost effective alternative for maintaining oral hygiene.