Efficacy of some medicinal plants against human dental pathogens

123-127Dental caries is one of the most prevalent diseases having multifactorial etiology. Most of the treatments in dental caries is aimed at either elimination or suppression of bacteria by antibiotics. Increased resistance of oral bacteria to antibiotics however, has developed keen interest of researcher in herbal treatment. In our investigation we have screened nine medicinal plants from Marathwada region. We have proved effective inhibition of dental pathogens by aqueous extract of plants. Amongst selected plants leaves of Emblica officinalis Gaertn. syn. Phyllanthus emblica Linn. and Terminalia bellirica Roxb. and flowers of Syzygium aromaticum (Linn.) Merrill &amp; Perry showed three to four times more inhibition in comparison with effective antibiotics like Carbenicillin, Tetracycline, Nalidixic acid and Nitrofurantoin of four dental pathogens, viz. Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus mitis, Streptococcus sanguis and Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans isolated by us. </span