Perception Of Knowledge And Practice Of Phytotherapy And Herbal Products Amongst Dental Students And Professionals In Delhi-NCR: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Abstract

Objective- The present study aimed to analyse the perception of knowledge and Practice of Phytotherapy and herbal products amongst dental students and professionals.

Materials and Methodology- A total of 453 dental students and professionals were recruited for the study after ethical clearance from the institution. A self-administered questionnaire was circulated in the form of Google Forms and printed forms. The questionnaire consisted of questions pertaining to demographics, knowledge, attitude and practice of phytotherapy. To assess associations between demographic variables and participants' knowledge and practice of phytotherapy, Chi-square tests were performed, with the level of statistical significance set at p < 0.05.

Results- The participants included were mostly of a younger age (18-25 years). For awareness assessment, there was a significant difference found for dental students and professionals for smear removal efficacy (p=0.001), also dental professionals were more aware about the use of herbal products in oral health (p=0.038), and their usage (p=0.0142). Dental professionals were keener to know about herbal products (p=0.001). For practical usage, dental professionals found it more effective as compared to dental students (p=0.0024). Cloves emerged as the most commonly known herb, recognized by 68.0% of respondents, followed by Cinnamon (50.6%) and Miswak (43.9%). When exploring the rationale for choosing herbal substitutes, cost-effectiveness was the most cited reason (63.4%).

Conclusion- Encouraging a research-oriented and evidence-driven approach to the use of phytotherapeutic agents will enhance clinical decision-making and contribute to the safe and effective integration of herbal medicine into mainstream dental practice.