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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · European Journal of General Dentistry 2013; 2(01): 31-36
DOI: 10.4103/2278-9626.106802
Original Article

Change in salivary pH following use of homeopathic medicines: A preliminary study

Priya Subramaniam
Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, The Oxford Dental College and Hospital, Hosur Road, Bommanahalli, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
,
Krishna Kumar
Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, The Oxford Dental College and Hospital, Hosur Road, Bommanahalli, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
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Abstract

Objective: Homeopathic preparations are popular and well accepted by parents and children. These preparations are easily available and are prescribed for acute and chronic conditions. However, their sugar content may affect oral health. Aims and Objectives: This preliminary study assessed salivary pH following administration of homeopathic medicines commonly prescribed for children. Materials and Methods: Forty-five normal and healthy children were divided into 3 groups of 15 children each: Group 1 was given a placebo, group 2 was given chamomilla (2x), and group 3 was given arsenicum (2x). Each child was given 2 pellets to be placed below the tongue and allowed to dissolve completely. Unstimulated saliva samples were collected at baseline, and following 5, 15, 30, and 60 minutes of administration. The saliva samples were suitably transferred to the laboratory for recording of pH using a digital pH meter. The titratable acidity of both homeopathic medicines was assessed. Data was subjected to statistical analysis. Results: Mean salivary pH at 15 minutes was 5.40 in group 1, 5.16 in group 2 and 5.42 in group 3, which was significant. (P=0.000) At 30 and 60 minutes, pH in groups 2 and 3 remained lower than that of group 1. The titratable acidity of chamomilla and arsenicum was found to be 0.14 mmol and 0.018 mmol, respectively. Conclusion: There was a significant reduction in salivary pH at 5, 15, and 30 minutes in groups 1 and 2. In all groups, salivary pH did not return to baseline values even after one hour of administering the homeopathic pellets.

Keywords

Homeopathy - lactose - pellets - salivary pH


Publication History

Article published online:
01 November 2021

© 2013. European Journal of General Dentistry. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.)

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