Honey in oral health and care: A mini review
Ramsay, E. I., Rao, S., Madathil, L., Hegde, S. K., Baliga-Rao, M. P., George, T., & Baliga, M. S. (2019). PubMed.
Terms within the article:
Summary:
This mini-review examined the effects of honey as a useful tool to combat some of oral the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation treatments for head and neck cancers (HNC) such as oral infections and sores (oral mucositis), dental plaque and caries (tooth decay), halitosis (oral malodor), gingivitis (inflammation of the gums), slow wound healing, and xerostomia (dry mouth). Honey is made by bees using the nectar of flowers and has over 200 natural compounds that include sugars, prebiotics, enzymes, amino acids, vitamins, and various healthy acids. Historically, honey has been documented for thousands of years in both diets and medical practices around the world. With growing resistance to antibiotics, side effects of medications and treatments, and medication interactions, investigators are researching the benefits of using the natural compound, honey, in modern medicine to treat oral and dental side effects that HNC patients may experience during or after treatment.
This review looked at the effects of using honey to combat streptococcus mutans, dental plaque and caries, gingivitis, oral mucositis, xerostomia, halitosis, and slow wound healing, all of which can cause reduced quality of life and delays in cancer treatment. They found that honey can potentially stop the growth of streptococcus mutans, acid-producing bacteria that cause dental plaque and lead to caries (tooth decay). It is proposed that due to its antibacterial features, honey kills bad bacteria and stops the growth of new bad bacteria like streptococcus mutans. Furthermore, it was reported that honey can help fight off and reverse the effects of gingivitis. Gingivitis is an inflammation of the gums caused by bacteria in the dental plaque biofilm that can cause swelling and bleeding of the gums, and subsequent loss of tooth to bone attachment by preventing the formation of bacteria that creates dental plaque biofilm. Radiation treatments are known to slow wound healing in sites exposed to radiation. Due to its antibacterial properties, honey was found to be an effective healing property for open wounds in the oral cavity during and after radiation treatment. It is proposed that the antibacterial properties in honey help heal wounds by reducing the number of bad bacteria that feed wounds. The same antibacterial properties could also be a useful tool in combating halitosis (oral malodor) that can be caused by several factors, including wounds in the mouth and oral dryness. One of the most common side effects of HNC radiation treatment is oral mucositis, painful open sores in the mouth that can cause swelling and dryness, trouble swallowing and talking, and increased infection risk. Honey was found to be beneficial in reducing radiation-induced mucositis that often leads to weightless and treatment interruptions. Another common side effect of HNC treatment is damage to salivary glands, which causes xerostomia, reduced saliva flow that creates dry mouth. Xerostomia can affect the sense of taste, lead to mouth ulcers and bacteria that cause tooth decay (caries), create difficulties with speech, and lead to painful dysphagia (swallowing) issues. Honey, when used as an oral wash, was found to be effective at mitigating the side effects of xerostomia by improving swallowing, speech, and decay issues, thus improving quality of life.
Overall, it was found that honey has the potential to be a useful tool in combating oral health side effects that can cause delays in treatment, pain, infection, oral decay, dry mouth, swallowing and speech difficulties, weight loss, and reduced quality of life during and after HNC treatment. While there is more research to be done, the use of honey in oral care is becoming more prevalent in modern medicine. Consultations with your healthcare team are recommended before treatment begins to discuss proper selection, application, and consumption of honey to combat the oral side effects of HNC treatment.
Possible questions to ask your doctor:
Reference: Ramsay, E. I., Rao, S., Madathil, L., Hegde, S. K., Baliga-Rao, M. P., George, T., & Baliga, M. S. (2019). Honey in oral health and care: a mini review. Journal of Oral Biosciences. doi:10.1016/j.job.2018.12.003
Summary written by Sonya Collins; Edited by Wendy Liang
October 16, 2020
Terms within the article:
- Head and Neck Cancer (HNC): cancers in the larynx, throat, lips, mouth, nose, and salivary glands
- Xerostomia: dry mouth due to reduced saliva flow (radiation/chemotherapy side effect)
- Oral mucositis: breakdown of the oral mucosal tissue due to chemotherapy and or radiation therapy that can cause issues of oral pain, swelling, sores in the mouth or gums, difficulty swallowing, dryness, reddening of oral cavity, trouble talking, and increased risk of infection due to open sores
- Streptococcus mutans: acid-producing bacteria that cause dental plaque and dental caries (tooth decay)
- Dental plaque: a dental biofilm usually pale yellow in color that forms on the teeth that causes tooth decay (dental caries)
- Dental caries: tooth decay due to oral bacteria creating acids that attack tooth enamel, which can cause pain, infection, and tooth loss
- Gingivitis: inflammation of the gums (gingival tissue) due to bacteria
- Oral malodor/ halitosis: foul breath odor caused by oral dryness (reduction in saliva flow), accumulation of food or debris, infections in the oral cavity, accumulation of plaque, gingivitis, and a number of other factors
- Prebiotics: dietary fiber-rich food that contains live microorganisms that feed good gut bacteria
- Salvage surgery: surgery after initial treatment failure or cancer reoccurrence
- Dysphagia: swallowing difficulties that can lead to malnutrition, dehydration, aspiration pneumonia, compromised general health, chronic lung disease, choking, or even death
Summary:
This mini-review examined the effects of honey as a useful tool to combat some of oral the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation treatments for head and neck cancers (HNC) such as oral infections and sores (oral mucositis), dental plaque and caries (tooth decay), halitosis (oral malodor), gingivitis (inflammation of the gums), slow wound healing, and xerostomia (dry mouth). Honey is made by bees using the nectar of flowers and has over 200 natural compounds that include sugars, prebiotics, enzymes, amino acids, vitamins, and various healthy acids. Historically, honey has been documented for thousands of years in both diets and medical practices around the world. With growing resistance to antibiotics, side effects of medications and treatments, and medication interactions, investigators are researching the benefits of using the natural compound, honey, in modern medicine to treat oral and dental side effects that HNC patients may experience during or after treatment.
This review looked at the effects of using honey to combat streptococcus mutans, dental plaque and caries, gingivitis, oral mucositis, xerostomia, halitosis, and slow wound healing, all of which can cause reduced quality of life and delays in cancer treatment. They found that honey can potentially stop the growth of streptococcus mutans, acid-producing bacteria that cause dental plaque and lead to caries (tooth decay). It is proposed that due to its antibacterial features, honey kills bad bacteria and stops the growth of new bad bacteria like streptococcus mutans. Furthermore, it was reported that honey can help fight off and reverse the effects of gingivitis. Gingivitis is an inflammation of the gums caused by bacteria in the dental plaque biofilm that can cause swelling and bleeding of the gums, and subsequent loss of tooth to bone attachment by preventing the formation of bacteria that creates dental plaque biofilm. Radiation treatments are known to slow wound healing in sites exposed to radiation. Due to its antibacterial properties, honey was found to be an effective healing property for open wounds in the oral cavity during and after radiation treatment. It is proposed that the antibacterial properties in honey help heal wounds by reducing the number of bad bacteria that feed wounds. The same antibacterial properties could also be a useful tool in combating halitosis (oral malodor) that can be caused by several factors, including wounds in the mouth and oral dryness. One of the most common side effects of HNC radiation treatment is oral mucositis, painful open sores in the mouth that can cause swelling and dryness, trouble swallowing and talking, and increased infection risk. Honey was found to be beneficial in reducing radiation-induced mucositis that often leads to weightless and treatment interruptions. Another common side effect of HNC treatment is damage to salivary glands, which causes xerostomia, reduced saliva flow that creates dry mouth. Xerostomia can affect the sense of taste, lead to mouth ulcers and bacteria that cause tooth decay (caries), create difficulties with speech, and lead to painful dysphagia (swallowing) issues. Honey, when used as an oral wash, was found to be effective at mitigating the side effects of xerostomia by improving swallowing, speech, and decay issues, thus improving quality of life.
Overall, it was found that honey has the potential to be a useful tool in combating oral health side effects that can cause delays in treatment, pain, infection, oral decay, dry mouth, swallowing and speech difficulties, weight loss, and reduced quality of life during and after HNC treatment. While there is more research to be done, the use of honey in oral care is becoming more prevalent in modern medicine. Consultations with your healthcare team are recommended before treatment begins to discuss proper selection, application, and consumption of honey to combat the oral side effects of HNC treatment.
Possible questions to ask your doctor:
- How does honey work to help my condition? (wound healing, halitosis (oral malodor), gingivitis, xerostomia (dry mouth), mucositis, tooth decay, or dental plaque formation)
- How should I ingest or use the honey?
- Should I put it in tea, eat it from a spoon, eat it in food, chew on honeycomb, rinse my mouth with it, apply it directly to wounds?
- Is there a specific type of honey that I should be buying or will any honey work?
- How will I know if the honey is working?
- How much honey should I be consuming?
- How many times a day should I be consuming/using honey?
- What should I do if I am diabetic?
- How will honey help my speech and swallowing?
- Where can I find more information about the benefits of using honey?
Reference: Ramsay, E. I., Rao, S., Madathil, L., Hegde, S. K., Baliga-Rao, M. P., George, T., & Baliga, M. S. (2019). Honey in oral health and care: a mini review. Journal of Oral Biosciences. doi:10.1016/j.job.2018.12.003
Summary written by Sonya Collins; Edited by Wendy Liang
October 16, 2020