Abstract

ORAL HEALTH AND DIABETES MELLITUS – A REVIEW FROM AYURVEDIC PERSPECTIVE

Gosai Ronakgiri*, Shukla Hemangi B., Parmar Hardik, Sojitra Dhaval, Oza Kinjal, Kanakhara Brinda and Gusai Hetal

Abstract

The term “diabetes mellitus” describes a group of disorders characterized by elevated levels of glucose in the blood and abnormalities of carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism. Most people who suffer from the disease, they understand that it can harm eyes, heart, kidneys and blood vessels but very few know that it has a negative impact on oral and dental health as well. People with diabetes are at a greater risk of developing periodontal (gum) disease which heals slowly. Dry mouth, a common symptom of undetected diabetes, can lead to ulcers, soreness, infections, and tooth decay. The standard Western medicine has had only limited success in the prevention of periodontal disease and in the treatment of a variety of oral diseases. There was a long history regarding plants for the improvement of dental health and oral hygiene in our Ayurvedic texts. Various studies have proven that Dantadhavana described in ancient Ayurved texts have medicinal and anti-cariogenic properties. There are some practices like Kaval & Gandoosh claimed to prevent and to cure oro-dental diseases. In this paper, an attempt has been made to review various procedures which can be used as an adjunct for the maintenance of oral health and prevention of diabetes mellitus induced oro-dental disorders.

Keywords: Diabetes mellitus, oral problems, oral health, Ayurveda.