Zeenath Ambareen¹, Anitha Chinappa¹

Disinfecting the root canal system is one of the major objectives in endodontics. Although cleaning and shaping and use of antimicrobial medicaments are effective in reducing the bacterial load, some bacteria persist and multiply, causing reinfection. To counter the ineffectiveness, potential side effects and safety concerns of synthetic drugs, herbal alternatives have been introduced. Herbal irrigants are proven to be safe, contain active constituents that have beneficial physiologic effects. Its curative properties such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and radical scavenging activity have proved an added advantage over the traditional root canal irrigants. The use of herbal extracts as endodontic irrigants might be beneficial as a part of a growing trend to seek natural remedies for dental treatment.

disinfection, endodontics, phytotherapy