Herbal Medicine Use in Adult Dental School Patients at the University of Toronto

Background: Some herbal medications (HM) may have potential adverse drug interactions and may impact dental treatment. To date, there is a dearth of information on the use of HM among dental patients. Objectives: The primary goal of this study is to determine the prevalence of HM usage among patients in the clinic at the Faculty of Dentistry -- University of Toronto. Also, this study will determine the prevalence of recording of HM use in the medical records of the same institution. Materials and Methods: The primary method to assess the prevalence of HM use is by a survey of dental school patients and chart review. Results: 65% of patients currently use one or more HM, while their use is recorded in only 8% of the dental charts. Conclusion: There is a significant difference between the prevalence of HM use and their recording in the dental charts.