Atividade dos óleos essenciais carvacrol e timol no controle do biofilme dental e gengivite: uma revisão de literatura

Abstract

Caries and gingivitis are diseases that affect a large part of the world population, caused mainly by the action of dental biofilm and its substrates. The main treatment to combat these diseases is through brushing and flossing, and in some situations chemical control can be used as a means of combating bacterial growth and multiplication. However, there are situations in which the role of the dentist is necessary to remove and control the accumulation of biofilm. Biofilm is a site composed of bacteria and nutrients where a true symbiosis between different species present in the oral cavity occurs. This study aims to analyze the activity of carvacrol and thymol essential oils in the control of dental biofilm and gingivitis. Searches were performed in the PubMed and Medline databases, where 138 articles were found, of which 43 were selected after selecting studies published between 2011 and 2021, written in Portuguese, Spanish or English. After analyzing the abstracts, 10 articles were selected. Studies have shown that essential oils based on thymol and carvacrol have good antimicrobial activity and effectiveness in controlling biofilm and gingivitis, especially if associated with oral hygiene habits (brushing and flossing). The use of these compounds proved to be a safe alternative for adjuvant use in the mechanical and chemical control of biofilm.