Herbal Local Drug Delivery: A Narrative Review

Periodontitis is a complex and chronic inflammation of the periodontium and can be diagnosed clinically by gingival inflammation, attachment loss, and loosening of teeth. Both nonsurgical and surgical periodontal therapies are used to treat periodontal diseases. However, in some cases, solely mechanical therapy is ineffective, especially in inaccessible areas. Hence, in such cases, systemic and local drug therapy is well-advised adjuvant to scaling and root planning. Local drug therapy provides specificity at the site of infection. Various antimicrobial agents are used for local applications into periodontal pockets such as chlorhexidine and tetracycline; however, these drugs have certain adverse reactions. To overcome these unfavorable side effects, herbal extracts came into the limelight. Therefore, this review gives an insight into the properties and benefits of natural extracts used as local drug delivery for periodontal treatment.