ROLE OF HERBAL EXTRACTS IN ROOT CANAL DISINFECTION AND REMOVAL OF SMEAR LAYER: A REVIEW

Background: The success of endodontic treatment depends on the complete debridement and disinfection of canal space. Various chemicals have been used for canal disinfection. However, to overcome the adverse effects, toxicity issues, and microbial resistance of most conventional canal disinfectants, alternative agents are needed. Many herbal products have been studied and recommended for canal disinfection. This article aimed to review the role of herbal extracts in canal disinfection as an irrigant, intracanal medicament, and their efficacy in smear layer removal. Results: Studies were identified through search of the following electronic databases: PubMed, Science direct, Scopus and Google Scholar. The search was undertaken with keywords herbal agents/ products for root canal disinfection, Enterococcus faecalis, endodontics, smear layer, biofilm, herbal extracts and antimicrobial activity. The literature was reviewed for past 30 years (1990- till June 2020). The results showed that several in-vitro studies reported effective antimicrobial action of herbal extracts for canal disinfection, however, very less in-vivo or clinical studies have been reported to ascertain the use of these agents for endodontic therapy. Conclusions: The study concludes that herbal agents can be effectively used for canal disinfection. However, long-term, invitro, clinical, biocompatibility studies clinical trials are further needed to confidently use these products in endodontics. Herbal extracts can be used as substitute to existing root canal disinfectants due to their unique properties. Therefore, improving the endodontic success rate by preventing root canal failures, persistent and reinfections.