A review on herbal toothpastes: A safer, natural approach to oral hygiene

India has been popularized as ‘The botanical garden of the world’ due to the abundance of natural plants and herbs that have been utilized for medicinal purposes including Ayurveda. Herbalism, or the practice of using plants for medicinal purposes, is dated back centuries and still forms the basis of many remedies today. There has been increased demand in herbal products of late as many societies look beyond conventional medicines due to side effects associated and for cost cutting purposes. Similarly, this has also affected oral health care, where dental caries, gingivitis and bad breath are many concerns today. The current research investigates the medicinal effect of herbal based toothpastes based on Neem, Clove, Fennel, Cinnamon, Amla and Tulsi which are known for their antimicrobial activity as well as being rich in phytochemicals such as tannins, flavonoids and alkaloids among others. Additionally, herbal toothpastes help in fulfilling the demands of consumers who seek to have natural ingredients instead of supplements. Herbal toothpastes are also known to be less abrasive as compared to standard toothpaste making them ideal for children thus eliminating possibilities of enamel damage caused by stains.