Aloe Vera for Oral and Dental Health

The mouth may be aloe's most underrated application. Aloe mouthwash reduces dental plaque and gum inflammation about as well as chlorhexidine — the gold-standard antiseptic rinse — in several short randomized trials, but without chlorhexidine's tooth staining and taste changes. Topical aloe gel also helps painful mucosal conditions such as oral lichen planus and oral submucous fibrosis, and the polysaccharide acemannan supports healing after tooth extraction. As always, the inner-leaf gel is the part used; this page reviews the dental evidence, what it does and does not establish, and how to use aloe oral-care products sensibly.

Table of Contents

  1. Aloe in the Mouth: Forms Used
  2. How It May Help Oral Tissues
  3. Dental Plaque and Gingivitis
  4. Oral Lichen Planus
  5. Oral Submucous Fibrosis
  6. Mouth Ulcers, Denture Stomatitis, Dry Mouth
  7. Healing After Tooth Extraction
  8. Choosing and Using Oral-Care Aloe
  9. Cautions
  10. Key Research Papers
  11. Connections
  12. Featured Videos

Aloe in the Mouth: Forms Used

Oral-care research uses the inner-leaf gel in three main forms: as a mouthwash / rinse (the most studied), as a topical gel painted onto sore mucosa or lesions, and blended into a toothgel or dentifrice. Because these products are swished and sometimes swallowed in small amounts, a low-aloin, decolorized inner-leaf preparation is preferable — you do not want the anthraquinone latex in something you rinse with daily.

Back to Table of Contents

How It May Help Oral Tissues

Back to Table of Contents

Dental Plaque and Gingivitis

This is aloe's best oral-health evidence. A 2020 systematic review by Al-Maweri and colleagues concluded that aloe vera mouthwash was comparable to chlorhexidine in reducing dental plaque and gingivitis, and comparable or superior to placebo — a notable finding because chlorhexidine, while highly effective, causes tooth staining, taste alteration, and (with long use) calculus buildup that many people dislike. Individual randomized trials since then — including work by Boyapati and colleagues (2024), Kamath and colleagues (2023) in orthodontic patients, and Penmetsa and colleagues (2019) — have reproduced the pattern: aloe rinses lower plaque and gingival indices, roughly on par with chlorhexidine over the short study periods.

The honest limits: these trials are short (usually 2 to 4 weeks), use varied aloe formulations, and show aloe as comparable to chlorhexidine, not clearly better. Aloe is therefore a reasonable choice for people who want to reduce gum inflammation but cannot tolerate chlorhexidine's side effects — not a replacement for brushing, flossing, and professional cleaning. For the condition, see our Gum Disease page.

Back to Table of Contents

Oral Lichen Planus

Oral lichen planus is a chronic inflammatory condition that causes painful white patches and erosions in the mouth. A 2017 systematic review and meta-analysis by Ali and Wahbi found that topical aloe vera reduced pain and clinical signs compared with placebo. Head-to-head trials have compared aloe with standard topical steroids: a 2023 randomized trial by Vaidya and colleagues compared aloe with clobetasol propionate, and a 2022 trial by Bhatt and colleagues compared aloe with low-level laser therapy, both suggesting aloe is a useful option for milder disease. Aloe is best viewed as a reasonable, low-side-effect adjunct or alternative for mild symptomatic oral lichen planus — more severe or erosive disease still needs specialist care. See our Lichen Planus page.

Back to Table of Contents

Oral Submucous Fibrosis

Oral submucous fibrosis is a pre-malignant condition, driven mainly by areca (betel) nut chewing, in which the mouth's lining stiffens and mouth opening becomes progressively limited. A 2019 systematic review and meta-analysis by Al-Maweri and colleagues found that aloe vera improved the burning sensation and mouth opening in these patients, generally as an adjunct to stopping areca-nut use and to other therapies. The evidence is low-to-moderate quality, so aloe is a supportive measure, not a cure; the essential intervention is complete cessation of areca/betel nut and close monitoring for malignant change.

Back to Table of Contents

Mouth Ulcers, Denture Stomatitis, Dry Mouth

A 2016 systematic review by Nair and colleagues summarized aloe's role across several oral mucosal diseases, concluding it shows promise as an adjunct while noting the need for larger, higher-quality trials.

Back to Table of Contents

Healing After Tooth Extraction

The polysaccharide acemannan has been studied as an aid to socket healing after tooth extraction. Laboratory and model work by Boonyagul and colleagues showed acemannan promotes bone-marrow stromal cell proliferation, differentiation, and bone formation in a tooth-extraction model, and Jettanacheawchankit and colleagues showed acemannan stimulates gingival fibroblast proliferation and wound healing. Some clinical work using acemannan sponges suggests faster, more comfortable socket healing and a lower risk of dry socket. This is a promising, mechanism-supported use that is still being established in larger clinical trials.

Back to Table of Contents

Choosing and Using Oral-Care Aloe

Back to Table of Contents

Cautions

Back to Table of Contents

Key Research Papers

  1. Al-Maweri SA, Nassani MZ, Alaizari N, et al. (2020). Efficacy of aloe vera mouthwash versus chlorhexidine on plaque and gingivitis: a systematic review. Int J Dent Hyg. — PubMed PMID: 30829440
  2. Boyapati R, Cherukuri SA, et al. (2024). Comparative evaluation of the efficacy of probiotic, aloe vera, povidone-iodine, and chlorhexidine mouthwashes in the treatment of gingival inflammation: a randomized controlled trial. Dent Med Probl. — PubMed PMID: 38652926
  3. Kamath DG, Nadimpalli H, et al. (2023). Comparison of antiplaque and anti-gingivitis effects of aloe vera mouthwash with chlorhexidine in fixed orthodontic patients: a randomized controlled trial. Int J Dent Hyg. — PubMed PMID: 35943370
  4. Penmetsa GS, Vivek B, et al. (2019). Efficacy of Ocimum sanctum, Aloe vera and chlorhexidine mouthwash on gingivitis: a randomized controlled comparative clinical study. Ayu. — PubMed PMID: 31831965
  5. Ali S, Wahbi W (2017). The efficacy of aloe vera in management of oral lichen planus: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Oral Dis. — PubMed PMID: 28029732
  6. Bhatt G, Gupta S, et al. (2022). Comparative efficacy of topical aloe vera and low-level laser therapy in the management of oral lichen planus: a randomized clinical trial. Lasers Med Sci. — PubMed PMID: 34853932
  7. Vaidya AU, et al. (2023). Efficacy of aloe vera and clobetasol propionate in the management of oral lichen planus: a randomized parallel clinical trial. Front Dent. — PubMed PMID: 37312826
  8. Al-Maweri SA (2019). Aloe vera in treatment of oral submucous fibrosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Oral Pathol Med. — PubMed PMID: 30329174
  9. Nair GR, Naidu GS, et al. (2016). Clinical effectiveness of aloe vera in the management of oral mucosal diseases: a systematic review. J Clin Diagn Res. — PubMed PMID: 27656587
  10. Boonyagul S, Banlunara W, et al. (2014). Effect of acemannan, an extracted polysaccharide from Aloe vera, on BMSCs proliferation, differentiation, extracellular matrix synthesis, mineralization, and bone formation in a tooth extraction model. Odontology. — PubMed PMID: 23315202
  11. Jettanacheawchankit S, Sasithanasate S, et al. (2009). Acemannan stimulates gingival fibroblast proliferation; expressions of keratinocyte growth factor-1, vascular endothelial growth factor, and type I collagen; and wound healing. J Pharmacol Sci. — PubMed PMID: 19372635

PubMed Topic Searches

  1. PubMed: Aloe vera mouthwash gingivitis
  2. PubMed: Aloe vera oral lichen planus
  3. PubMed: Aloe vera oral submucous fibrosis
  4. PubMed: Aloe vera vs chlorhexidine
  5. PubMed: Acemannan and oral healing

Back to Table of Contents

External Authoritative Resources

Back to Table of Contents

Connections

Back to Table of Contents