Traditional Phytotherapy for Dental and Oral Care in Odisha, India

The present study deals with less known uses of 54 plant species in the treatment of various dental and oral diseases like dental carries, gingivitis and pyorrhea. It is primarily based on field surveys carried out in villages, where dwellers provided information on plant species used as medicine, parts used to prepare the remedies, and the illnesses to which the remedies were prescribed. The relevance of this phytotherapy has also been presented with reference to the socioeconomic milieu of the rural people of Odisha. Maximum number of species are reported from family Fabaceae (5) and Mimosaeae (5) followed by members of Euphorbiaceae (4), Moraceae (3), and Sapotaceae (3). Besides, bark, leaf and rhizome as such or being processed are used as tooth powder. In few cases the latex, juice or oil extracted from seeds are either directly applied on the effected tooth and gums or gurgled for relief. Moreover, out of 54 plant species, 28 are exclusively used for tooth stick, 12 for toothache due to caries, 09 for gum diseases and 24 species for pyorrhea. This research will hopefully help in monitoring and management of ethnomedicinal plants and highlights their importance. It could be a valuable tool for better understanding the long-term effects of traditional knowledge available in different districts of Odisha, India.