Oral Health

Gingivitis

Gingivitis, the mildest form of periodontal disease affects about 50% of the adult population, is characterized by inflammation of the gums (gingivae) caused by the bacterial biofilm (dental plaque) that accumulates on teeth adjacent to the gingiva (gum).

Antioxidant supplements with their anti-inflammatory properties exert beneficial effects and may play a potential role in the prevention and successful treatment of disorders associated with gingival tissues and other supporting structures of the teeth (Battino et al., 2005).

Turmeric is being used to offer relief from gingivitis and periodontitis (Cikrikci et al., 2008) and 2% whole turmeric gel being used as an adjunct to scaling and root planning (Behal et al., 2011). Recent studies provide evidence that isolated turmeric fraction and its components, curcuminoids, may be useful for controlling dental biofilms and subsequent dental caries formation (Pandit et al., 2011). In a recent prospective, open label, two arms, clinical trial showed that THCs could be effective in decreasing the symptoms of canker sore and gingivitis.

Oral leukoplakia

A recent study, patients, 40 to 70 years (mean age of 56 years), with oral mucosal lesions with clinical features of leukoplakia were given 2% THCs gel with advice to apply the gel to the affected areas, 5 times daily for 12 weeks. The lesion was examined, and its characteristics were documented in a standard manner at baseline, 3, 6, 9, and 12 weeks. All the patients reported a reduced burning sensation within 3 weeks of THCs treatment and were completely asymptomatic by the end of the study. Similarly, there was a decrease in the size of the lesion during the follow-up period. The authors concluded that THCs when topically applied in gel form are remarkably effective in alleviating clinical symptoms of leukoplakia (Chhaparwal et al., 2018).

Reference:
Chhaparwal, Y., K. M Pai, M. Kamath, S. Carnelio, and S. Chhaparwal. “EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF TETRAHYDROCURCUMINOID IN THE TREATMENT OF ORAL LEUKOPLAKIA: A PILOT STUDY”. Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical and Clinical Research, Vol. 11, no. 12, Dec. 2018, pp. 194-6, doi:10.22159/ajpcr.2018.v11i12.28107.