Research from the University of Medical Sciences and Technology, in Khartoum, Sudan, tested the efficacy of ginger, cinnamon and a combination of both in reducing root canal infections.

The study tested infections associated with 50 teeth involved in root canals. They were divided into five groups. One was treated with a paste of extract of ginger, another of cinnamon, and another with both of them. The final two groups were divided into a positive control group treated with calcium hydroxide with iodoform paste, and a negative control group was left untreated.

The researchers recorded the number of colony forming units (CFU) of bacteria—individual bacteria units capable of growing into a colony—before and after the treatments. The extract of ginger group showed the most effectiveness, with a reduction from 83 CFUs to 26.5, suggesting that ginger may help treat or prevent root canal infections. The cinnamon group saw their status reduced slightly, to 77.8 CFUs, and the combination caused a decrease to 49.7.

This article appears in the June 2017 issue of Natural Awakenings.