Use of Herbal Medicines in the Control of Oral Changes Post-Oncological Treatment: New Alternatives in Dentistry

Abstract

Oncological treatment can cause various oral changes during and after the process that can lead to deficits in chewing, phonation, swallowing, as well as pain and poor nutrition. In this context, there is still a search for evidence on the use of herbal medicines in oncology with the presence of oral cavity lesions caused by cancer therapy, for their treatment. Thus, the work in question is a literature review, aiming to report, from the analysis of journals, the observation of favorable effects for the treatment of oral lesions as a consequence of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, through the use of herbal medicines: Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla), Pomegranate (Punica granatum), and Propolis extract (Apis mellifera L.). An electronic data search was conducted through Google Scholar and PubMed, using the Health Science Descriptors (Phytotherapeutic Medicines, Neoplasms, Antineoplastic Protocols). The studies presented in this work show that the use of these herbal medicines can aid in the treatment of lesions resulting from chemotherapy and radiotherapy, as they possess various anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antitumor actions, among others. Finally, the herbal medicines presented can be considered as a new alternative, thus being a favorable choice of treatment in relation to conventional medicines (allopathy), both because they are natural and do not further reduce the patient's immunity, as well as for their low cost.

Keywords: Herbal Medicines. Neoplasms. Antineoplastic Protocols.