Background: Spices, such as cloves and mint, are used by medical professionals for their antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. The current study aimed to identify the commonly used traditional remedies for pain relief and the pattern and outcome of using these remedies.
Methods: A cross-sectional study, using convenience sampling methods, was conducted among patients attending Taibah University. An online self-administered questionnaire was used for the data collection.
Results: The study included 319 participants, of which 79.6% used something to relieve pain. Of the used remedies, 49.2% used cloves, 25.7% used painkillers, and 4.7% used other remedies. Most users (49.8%) directly place traditional remedies or painkillers on the tooth that cause pain. About 50.2% of the participants used traditional remedies or painkillers for hours or less than a day. Most participants (56.4%) experienced pain relief during the first hour, and 8.2% experienced complete pain relief after 24 hours. Among the participants, 44.8% experienced some kind of relief, and 20.7% experienced complete relief from pain. Most participants (61.1%) did not prefer using any traditional remedies over visiting a dentist.
Conclusion: The prevalence of traditional remedies used for dental issues was 79.6%. Among the participants, 18.5% preferred using traditional remedies over visiting dentists. The widespread use of traditional remedies as dental analgesics oblige dentists to include the topic in patientsÂ’ medical/dental history. Studying the effectiveness of traditional remedies and their therapeutic applications is important to provide evidence for
guidelines of safer use protocols.
Key words: Pattern, outcome, traditional, remedies, dental, Madinah
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