“Pomegranate” - One More Herbal Agent Against Dental Plaque/Biofilm

Plaque is a biofilm which is invisible, containing layers of bacteria that hangs around the gingiva, tongue, teeth and other dental restorations. If plaque is not removed regularly, it can cause tooth and gum disease which eventually leads to tooth loss. Everyday, more and more people are inclining towards the herbal method of treatment as they are quite effective, non-toxic, economical and usually with no side effects. The primary bioactive constituents of pomegranate juice are the polyphenols and their potent antioxidant characteristics. Punicalagin is a major antioxidant polyphenol in pomegranate juice. Pomegranates are definitely tasty germ-fighters. But they also come with the package of good and bad. With the advent of bacterial resistance and side effects with the available chemotherapeutic agents to treat periodontal diseases, a thirst to find natural curative agents has begun. Pomegranate extracts offer real benefits as a therapeutic and preventive agent for gingivitis, in addition to its common use in popular medicine, which indicates for the need of more studies to confirm its action against biofilm.