The role of essential oils in oral hygiene - a review of the literature

Abstract

Due to increasing of resistance of the microorganisms which causes periodontitis, mucositis - essential oils - source known from antiquity, may be helpful. Extracted from plants essential oils (EO of the selected plants) - contain in selected oils, can reduce the amount of pathogens in the mouth and help the action of antibiotics and other active components used in the prevention and the treatment of oral diseases. Essential oils are widely used: to reduce the formation of the plaque which is a biofilm produced by bacteria on the surface of hard tooth tissues. Dental plaque contributes to the development of periodontitis and tooth decay. The article contains an overview of the most popular essential oils and analysis of the results of the long-term studies on the effectiveness of mouthwashes containing essential oils. Aim of the article: Determination of the range of use the essential oils in various fields of dentistry and determination the actual effectiveness of essential oils in reducing plaque based on available researches.

Keywords

• essential oils
• tea tree oil
• TTO
• plaque
• dentistry