AYURVEDA AND ORAL HEALTH Review Article

INTRODUCTION

Ayurveda is a comprehensive system of natural health care that originated in the ancient Vedic times of India.¹ “AYURVEDA” which combines the Sanskrit word “AYUR” (life) and “VEDA” (Science of knowledge) is a holistic ethnic medical care system which evolved in India 3000-5000 year ago, is now practiced in other parts of the world as a form of complementary medicine. The earliest literature on the practice of India system of medicine appeared during the Vedic period in India. The Sushruta samhita and Charak samhita are its earliest authoritative text.² With passage of time, Ayurvedic practitioners developed large numbers of medicinal preparations and surgical procedures for the treatment of various ailments and diseases. Dentistry was included in the SHALYA CHIKITSA section of Ayurveda.³

AYURVEDA AND ORAL HEALTH

“AYURVEDA” meaning living in tune with nature. This ancient system of medicine has a rich repository of resources even for dentistry. The body structure is categorized based on hegemony of any of three physical humors (dosha).Imbalance in any one of these doshas governs health care in Ayurveda and dental health.⁴
Various plants and natural products have been used for their pharmacological applications such as in antiulcer agent, wound healing, anti‑inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant properties etc. The review of the recent studies undertaken to use of natural products for oral diseases and also have looked into the multitude prospects and perspectives of Ayurveda in the management of orofacial diseases.⁵
Varieties of Ayurvedic and herbal preparation such as chewing sticks, herbal brushes (Babool, miswalk, neem and mango), turmeric, amla, aloe Vera, garlic and ginger are used for various oral hygiene procedures as well as for treatment of various gum and oral diseases.⁶ Several unconventional medicinal herbs are described to familiarize dental practitioners and researchers with a variety of theories that are applicable to dentistry.7

Plants Used In Oral Care

Thus we can say that use of herbal medicine has been successfully applied in dentistry as antiseptic, antioxidants, and analgesic.⁸ The natural phytochemicals play an alternative role to antibiotics and also aid in healing of oral infections and thereby improving immunity. However, well controlled clinical trials are required to validate the use of these traditional therapeutics strategies in the dental field.⁹

AYURVEDA AND ORAL HEALTH CARE IN INDIA

Over the centuries, India has used its rich knowledge of traditional medicine to prevent and treat diseases. According to World health Organization (WHO) 75% of the world’s population uses herbs for basic health care needs. WHO has recommended for the incorporation of the traditional systems of medicine like Ayurveda into the primary health care system, for those communities where it is accepted.¹⁰ All the ayurvedic medicines and local remedies discussed above (oil pulling, herbal chewing sticks, turmeric, amla, ginger, garlic and guggul) are easily available in the rural areas where socioeconomic condition of the people is not good enough to buy costly toothpaste or curative medicines.¹¹ Ayurveda must be reinterpreted in the light of our new knowledge and it must be incorporated in modern medicine along with other forms of traditional medicine.12

Specific strategies of WHO for promotion of traditional medicine (TM) in India:-

WHO is mainstreaming (TM) in health systems that cover every potential of TM. It involves the use of herbal medicines, as well as the use of animal parts, minerals, and other complex factors (in pharmaceutical processes). These include:¹³

1. Regulation of herbal medicine
2. Classification of herbal medicines
3. Standardization of herbal medicine
4. Rational use of herbal medicine
5. Pharmacovigilance program for herbal medicine
6. Consumer guidelines of herbal medicines
7. Fellowship at collaborative centers.

Regulatory act for herbal medicines

WHO has always emphasized on rules and regulations time to time for the practice of TM, as well as its global appraisal, among the member countries. From literatures, it is well-documented about the evolution of Ayurveda from Indian subcontinent. Hence, Indian Government has already recognized Ayurveda to be practiced as the official system of medicine. In India rules for practice and education of Ayurveda have been laid in 1970 by the Indian Medicine Central Act whereas herbal medicines of Ayurveda are governed by Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940 (Chapter IV A).¹⁴
Apart from that recently, in August 2010, Department of AYUSH of the Government of India has modified Rule 158 of The Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945 to facilitate licensing and export of Ayurvedic herbal medicines under categories of Ayurvedic cosmeceuticals, Ayurvedic nutraceuticals and Ayurvedic extracts.15

CONCLUSION

The traditional knowledge of Ayurveda should be integrated with the modern dentistry. For this, the active principles of plants should be incorporated into modern oral health-care practices and dentists should be encouraged to use natural remedies in various oral health treatments. This will make dentistry much safer, affordable and more accessible for the lower socio-economic groups in society.¹⁶

REFERENCES