Abstract
Oral and dental diseases are a major global burden, the most common non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and may even affect an individual’s general quality of life and health. The most prevalent dental and oral health conditions are tooth decay (otherwise referred to as dental caries/cavities), oral cancers, gingivitis, periodontitis, periodontal (gum) disease, Noma, oro-dental trauma, oral manifestations of HIV, sensitive teeth, cracked teeth, broken teeth, and congenital anomalies such as cleft lip and palate. Herbs have been utilized for hundreds of years in traditional Chinese, African and Indian medicine and even in some Western countries, for the treatment of oral and dental conditions including but not limited to dental caries, gingivitis and toothaches, dental pulpitis, halitosis (bad breath), mucositis, sore throat, oral wound infections, and periodontal abscesses. Herbs have also been used as plaque removers (chew sticks), antimicrobials, analgesics, anti-inflammatory agents, and antiseptics. Cannabis sativa L. in particular has been utilized in traditional Asian medicine for tooth-pain management, prevention of dental caries and reduction in gum inflammation. The distribution of cannabinoid (CB) receptors in the mouth suggest that the endocannabinoid system may be a target for the treatment of oral and dental diseases. Most recently, interest has been geared toward the use of Cannabidiol (CBD), one of several secondary metabolites produced by C. sativa L. CBD is a known anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anxiolytic, anti-microbial and anti-cancer agent, and as a result, may have therapeutic potential against conditions such burning mouth syndrome, dental anxiety, gingivitis, and possible oral cancer. Other major secondary metabolites of C. sativa L. such as terpenes and flavonoids also share anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anxiolytic and anti-microbial properties and may also have dental and oral applications. This review will investigate the potential of secondary metabolites of C. sativa L. in the treatment of dental and oral diseases.
Highlights
Oral and dental diseases contribute to a significant economic burden of productivity loss, in low- and middle-income countries that lack the appropriate resources to treat such conditions
Secondary metabolites are organic compounds produced by microorganisms and plants that play roles in a number of processes that give the plant or microorganism comparative advantage, may play a role in survival of the microorganism or plant, play a role in the aroma, pigmentation and flavour of the plant, and that may have pharmacological/health benefits [80,81,82,83]
In addition to these roles, many cannabinoid- and non-cannabinoid secondary metabolites produced by C. sativa L., are analgesic, antimicrobial, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anxiolytic, anti-depressant, relaxant, and antioxidant [35,39,84,85,86,87,88,89,90,91,92,93,94]
Summary
Oral and dental diseases contribute to a significant economic burden of productivity loss, in low- and middle-income countries that lack the appropriate resources to treat such conditions Regions such as Western Europe, Australasia, Central Europe, High-Income North America, and High-Income Asia Pacific were found to have the highest levels of per capita dental expenditures, with untreated dental caries (tooth decay) being the most prevalent health condition [1]. In 2017, the global economic impact of productivity loss due to periodontitis was estimated to be EUR 44.28 B (USD 54 B) and EUR 20.50 B (USD 25 B) in direct and indirect costs, respectively [4]. 1 billion people have had traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) at some point in their lives
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