Medicinal Plants and the Secondary Metabolites: Potential in Dental Care and Cure

Periodontitis and dental caries are infectious diseases that are claimed to be most widespread among the human population. S. mutans has long been considered the major culprit in dental caries formation but the process of odontogenic infections requires the association of more than one species of microbes. It includes both the gram-positive and gram negative bacteria. Plants for oral health mostly had antimicrobial activity against culprit oral microbes that includes gram-positive, gram- negative bacteria and fungal species. Possible role in dentistry of any plant extract or natural product could be verified by knowing their inhibitory activity against dental plaque, GTF (Glucosyltransferase), calculi formation etc