The Effect of Using Herbal Extracts as Irrigant Solution in Disinfecting Root Canals of Endodontically Treated Teeth: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Objectives: The use of herbal medicine continues to grow worldwide in all fields including dentistry. The constant use of chemical products in the root canal treatment process has prompted researchers to look for herbal alternatives due to the side effects and the relatively high resistant microbial strains available in the root canal that can contribute to the refractory infection. Therefore, the aim of this narrative review is to evaluate the effectiveness of using selected herbal extracts in disinfecting the root canals and removing the smear layer of the endodontically treated teeth. Design: Systematic search from 1999-2019 was performed using four electronic databases. The level of evidence of eligible studies was assessed using Critical Appraisal Skills Programme and Cochrane risk of bias tools. Results: A total of 44 eligible experimental studies that assessed aloe vera, turmeric, Peganum harmala, green tea, garlic and chamomile extracts were retrieved electronically. Potent disinfectant properties provided by the herbal extract of the six selected plants were demonstrated. Among these herbal extracts, garlic and chamomile extracts were found to have better properties in removing the smear layer from the root canal compared to the other herbal extracts. Conclusion: The results of the present review support the use of the examined herbal extracts in disinfecting the root canal; however, these findings need to be assessed clinically to determine the possibility of using herbal products as a successful alternative for chemical products within the process of root canal treatment.