Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. The antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and wound healing properties of aloe vera, when used as an adjunct to the treatment protocol, contributed to the significant improvements in chronic periodontitis. 

Included in the many health complications that plague the 19.8 million Americans with taloe veraype 2 diabetes (1), from cardiovascular disease to kidney failure and visual impairment (2) is poor dental health in the form of chronic periodontitis (3). Chronic periodontitis is an inflammation of the part of the teeth called the periodontum by bacteria that leads to gum breakdown and bone loss (4). This loss of dental health can cause a decrease in the quality of life (5).

Traditional approaches to chronic periodontitis include dental procedures such as debridement, but these approaches have a high rate of recurrence of periodontal disease (6). Now, research suggests aloe vera gel may be an adjunctive option to improve dental health.

A 2016 study (7) involved 60 patients (33 men, 27 women) aged 29 to 39 and chronic periodontitis (defined as having a probing depth > 5 millimeters (8) and clinical attachment level > 3 mm (9)). The patients underwent a debridement procedure and then had an aloe vera gel (as prepared in previous studies (10)) or a placebo gel injected into one site of periodontitis. The patients then underwent follow-up examinations at 3 and 6 months.

The researchers noted the following:

  • After 3 months, the aloe vera gel decreased plaque index by 38.9% (2.73 to 1.67) compared to a 24.2% decrease in the placebo group (2.77 to 2.10, p = 0.008). There was no significant difference between the 2 groups at 6 months (p = 0.532).
  • After 3 months, the aloe vera gel decreased bleeding by 42% (2.93 to 1.70) compared to a 23.2% decrease in the placebo group (2.90 to 2.23, p = 0.001). There was no significant difference between the 2 groups after 6 months (p = 0.241)
  • After 6 months, the aloe vera gel decreased probing depth by 36.7% (7.26 to 4.60) compared to a 27.4% in the placebo group (7.27 to 5.27, p = 0.009).
  • After 6 months, the aloe vera gel decreased clinical attachment level by 26.7% (6.23 to 4.57) compared to a 17.3% decrease in the placebo group (6.17 to 5.10, p = 0.0027).

The decreases seen the placebo group can be attributed to the benefits of the debridement procedure but adding the aloe era gel clearly produced an added benefit.

When suggesting how aloe vera was able to elicit these healthful benefits, the researchers pointed to the anti-bacterial (11), anti-inflammatory (12), and wound healing (13) properties of aloe vera. They concluded that “Use of complementary and alternative medicine can provide new therapeutic options in patients who are at risk for periodontal breakdown.”

Source: Pradeep, A. R., Vibhuti Garg, Arjun Raju, and Priyanka Singh. “Adjunctive Local Delivery of Aloe Vera Gel in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes and Chronic Periodontitis: A Randomized, Controlled Clinical Trial.” Journal of periodontology 87, no. 3 (2016): 268-274.

© 2016 American Academy of Periodontology

Posted September 22, 2016.

Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY.  You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com.

References:

  1. “Number (in Millions) of Civilian, Non-Institutionalized Persons with Diagnosed Diabetes, United States, 1980-2014” posted on the CDC website
  2. “Diabetes Complications” posted on the CDC website
  3. Bascones-Martı´nez A, Arias-Herrera S, Criado-Ca´mara E, Bascones-Ilunda´in J, Bascones-Ilunda´in C. Periodontal disease and diabetes. Adv Exp Med Biol 2012;771: 76-87
  4. Socransky SS, Haffajee AD. The bacterial etiology of destructive periodontal disease: Current concepts. J Periodontol 1992;63(Suppl. 4):322-331
  5. Durham J. Impact of periodontitis on oral health-related quality of life. J Dent. 2013 Apr;41(4):370-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jdent.2013.01.008. Epub 2013 Jan 26
  6. Slots J, Jorgensen MG. Effective, safe, practical and affordable periodontal antimicrobial therapy: Where are we going, and are we there yet? Periodontol 2000 2002; 28:298-312
  7. Pradeep AR. Adjunctive Local Delivery of Aloe Vera Gel in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes and Chronic Periodontitis: A Randomized, Controlled Clinical Trial. J Periodontol 2016 Mar;87(3):268-74. doi:1902/jop.2015.150161. Epub 2015 Oct 8
  8. Heitz-Mayfield LJ, Lang NP. Surgical and nonsurgical periodontal therapy. Learned and unlearned concepts. Periodontol 2000 2013;62:218-231
  9. Flemmig TF. Periodontitis. Ann Periodontol 1999;4:32-38
  10. Velam V, Yalavarthi PR, Sundaresan C, et al. In vitro and in vivo assessment of piroxicam incorporated Aloe vera transgel. Int J Pharm Investig 2013;3:212-216.
  11. Lorenzetti LJ, Salisbury R, Beal JL, Baldwin JN. Bacteriostatic property of aloe vera. J Pharm Sci 1964;53:1287.
  12. Davis RH, Rosenthal KY, Cesario LR, Rouw GA. Processed Aloe vera administered topically inhibits inflammation. J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 1989;79: 395-397
  13. Dat AD, Poon F, Pham KB, Doust J. Aloe vera for treating acute and chronic wounds. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2012;2:CD008762