Abstract

A PRELIMINARY REPORT ON THE ETHNOBOTANICAL PLANTS USED FOR DENTAL CARE BY THE TRIBAL OF BARGARH DISTRICT, WESTERN ODISHA, INDIA

Dr. Alok Ranjan Sahu* and Maninee Sahu

ABSTRACT

An ethnobotanical study was conducted from January 2017 to December 2019 to investigate the uses of medicinal plants for dental care by tribal people in the Bargarh district of Western Odisha, India. Data were collected by interviewing native people, mainly elderly – engaged in farming and stock rising activities, house wives and local traditional medicine men of different villages. The investigation revealed that 42 different plant species distributed in 39 genera belonging to 28 families are used by the tribal to treat various diseases and disorders of oral cavity, particularly in tooth decay. Information about local names, plant parts and different form of preparation used were recorded and matched with standard flora book. Present study indicated the tribal communities of the villages still continue to depend on plant resources to meet their daily needs and use plant based formulations from generation to generation for treatment of health related problems. This traditional knowledge needs to be documented and verified before it is lost with death of people with whom the knowledge lies. Now, the tribal societies are progressing towards modernization; their knowledge of traditional use of plants might be lost. Therefore conservation of such heritage is warranted.

Keywords: Teeth, Toothache, Medicinal plant, Tribal medicine, Bargarh.