Cannabidiol (CBD): an alternative approach in gum disease management

Abstract

Introduction. Periodontal diseases are one of the most common diseases in the oral cavity- as the statistics given by the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) suggest over fortyseven percent (64.7 million adults) of Americans over the age of thirty suffer from severe manifestations of periodontitis. The symptoms of periodontal disease include redness of the gums as well as gingival inflammation, formation of periodontal pockets, and the destruction of supporting tissue. Recent studies demonstrate that cannabidiol may have positive effects on reducing or in some cases ceasing gum disease by its anti-inflammatory, analgesic, ability to interact with CB2 receptors and antibacterial properties. It is necessary to demonstrate the effects of CBD and it’s counteraction against these diseases. Aim of the study. The effects of cannabidiol on the treatment of symptoms associated with periodontal disease. Materials and methods. The design of our study and the scoping review involves a systematic exploration of various research however does not indicate an analysis of the methodological quality of studies. This review presents an analysis of the available articles in literature by providing a prospectus of existing content that is setting the future for research paths and pointing to the gaps within the literature. We conducted a review by applying a structured search method in PubMed, Science Direct, LI- LACS, and SciELO. Results. When conducting our research, we reached the conclusion that cannabidiol possesses a positive effect on periodontal and gum diseases by reducing the pain and inflammation and may even have an effect on preventing the disease entirely. Conclusions. The research and statistics compiled uncovers that the benefits of cannabidiol in treating symptoms of periodontal diseases outweigh the substance’s disadvantages. Moreover, cannabidiol proves to have capabilities in the advancement of dental medicine by demonstrating its potential to prevent such diseases as well as proving its worth for further research aimed in the prevention of such diseases.