# Potential Antimicrobial Use of Cannabidiol in Dentistry: A Scoping Review

## TL;DR

This review explores how cannabidiol (CBD) could be used in dentistry to fight oral bacteria and fungi, based on current scientific studies.

## Contribution

The study is the first scoping review to systematically summarize CBD's antimicrobial effects specifically in oral health contexts.

## Key findings

- CBD demonstrated antimicrobial activity against oral bacteria and fungi in in vitro and animal studies.
- Common methods used to test CBD's effects included minimum inhibitory concentration and colony-forming unit counting.
- Only 10 studies met the inclusion criteria, indicating a need for more research on CBD in dental applications.

## Abstract

Background/Objectives: The use of cannabidiol (CBD) as an antimicrobial and antifungal agent has gained interest in medicine, with studies suggesting potential against various microorganisms. However, its effectiveness against oral pathogens remains underexplored in dental research, highlighting the need for further studies. This scoping review summarizes current evidence on the antimicrobial properties of CBD in dental and oral health. Methods: A systematic search was conducted across seven databases (PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, SciELO, and LILACS) up to January 2025. The inclusion criteria encompassed studies that explored the effects of CBD on oral microbiology (in vitro and in vivo in animal models), regardless of language or year of publication. The gray literature was evaluated in the Google Scholar database. Results: A total of 1284 articles were identified, of which 10 met the inclusion criteria for this scoping review. These studies, published between 2019 and 2025, primarily focused on bacterial and fungal cultures. The most commonly used methods were the minimum inhibitory concentration test and counting colony-forming units. The contact methods between CBD and bacterial/fungal cell cultures were either dilution or direct contact. Conclusions: CBD shows promising antimicrobial properties against a range of oral bacteria and fungi, suggesting its potential application in managing oral health conditions.