Shafkat Rana* and Dilip Kumar Sharma**

*P.G. Department of Botany, S.G.G. Government College, Banswara-327001 Rajasthan, (India) **Vardhman Mahaveer Open University, Kota-342005, Rajasthan, (India) (corresponding author) E.mail : dksharma@vmou.ac.in, drdilipsharma12@gmail.com, s.rana@rediffmail.com

ABSTRACT

District Banswara is located in the extreme south part of Rajasthan. The district having an area of about 5037 square km which is situated between 23o11’ and 23o56’ north latitude and 73o58" and 74o49’’ east longitudes. It has a highly varied physiography, from plateau lands to hilly tracts. A study was conducted to document and enumerate the ethnomedicinal practices used for oral health and hygiene by the tribal and rural people of South Rajasthan (with special reference to District- Banswara). During the survey work tools like questionnaire, personal interview or discussionswith traditional healers, local inhabitants, Ayurveda practitioners and botanists were used to gather the information on the use of medicinal plants in oral care. The study identified 13 species of plant belonging to 12 genera and 11 families generally used by the people of the study area to maintain oral health or hygiene or as remedy to care and prevent dental diseases. The study also suggests that the traditional knowledge of oral health may be integrated with modern dental care and practices. Due to lack of involvement and ignorance of new generation, this traditional knowledge of valuable ethno-medicinal practices is gradually becoming out of practice in rural population. So measures should be taken to document them and to increase the awareness especially in the new generation. The study will also be useful for the pharmacologists to isolate the active ingredient of studied plants and incorporate this in allopathic drugs in the modern oral care practices.

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