Effect of essential oils on oral halitosis treatment: a review

Abstract

Halitosis is a very common condition which may affect up to 30% of the population. In about 90% of the cases, halitosis originates in the mouth due to inadequate plaque control, periodontal disease, dry mouth, faulty restorations, and in particular due to excessive bacterial growth. Oral malodor is mainly caused by a microbial degradation of amino acids into volatile, bad-smelling gases (volatile sulfur compounds-VSCs). Management of oral malodor is directed primarily at managing and reducing the VSC-producing bacteria count as well as masking the odor. Essential oils have been used for this purpose in traditional medicine for centuries. In the present review, data on the antimicrobial activity of essential oils against relevant oral VSC-producing bacteria are compiled and compared. Additionally, other positive aspects of essential oils with regard to oral odor are considered.

Oral Probiotic Activities and Biosafety of Lactobacillus gasseri HHuMIN D

“…Many studies have been published on the inhibition of harmful oral bacteria for oral health [10,11,12,13]. In spite of the fact that antibiotics, including penicillin, erythromycin, and tetracycline are effective in the prevention of oral disease, they have not been utilized in humans due to increased antibiotic resistance after long-term use [14].…”

“…In spite of the fact that antibiotics, including penicillin, erythromycin, and tetracycline are effective in the prevention of oral disease, they have not been utilized in humans due to increased antibiotic resistance after long-term use [14]. Other studies have sought to inhibit oral periodontal bacteria using natural materials [13,15,16], inhibit GTase activity involving sucrose glucan formation [17], or use sucrose-alternative sweeteners that S. mutans are unable to metabolize [18]. Zinc ions, chlorhexidine (CHX) and cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) and metal salts have been found to be effective in inhibiting the growth of halitosis-causing bacteria or in reducing the production of volatile sulfur compounds.…”

Exploring the Potential of Natural Product-Based Nanomedicine for Maintaining Oral Health

“…After 5 min of essential oil treatment, the strength of the bad smell was significantly lowered. This study showed that, besides the antimicrobial activity, essential oils can also control bad oral smell [ 26 ].…”

“…The principle components responsible are benzyl alcohol, geraniol, eugenol, hydroxyl-citronellal, etc. Subsequently, the use of high concentrations/doses of essential oils can trigger adverse reactions [ 26 ]. Various factors, such as the amount of biological content, source of the material, and the route of exposure, should also be taken into consideration with regard to irritation potential.…”

“…Although most of the essential oils, due to their strong smell, are used to mask odor in oral diseases, they are nonetheless often not accepted by the consumers. Eucalyptus oil and tea tree oil are more commonly known essential oils with a strong odor that are poorly acknowledged [ 26 ].…”