Abstract:

Ethnomedicinal study of therapeutic healing methods of oral diseases was conducted during 2016-19 in the West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya, India. Recurrent field trips in and around different parts of West Garo Hills lead to the five most knowledgeable and available THPs (Traditional health practitioners) from whom valuable information was elicited. A pretested interview schedule was used to gather information from them. Information like vernacular names, common names, scientific names, family, habit, habitat, plant parts used and a comprehensive procedure for preparation of the medicines was recorded. After obtaining detailed information regarding the indigenous wild medicinal plants used wholly for healing oral diseases, an assessment was made that, 14 plant species belonging to 12 different families were found to heal the dreadful and painful disease. The present paper aims for the documentation of the ever-diminishing information on the wisdom and knowledge of the Garo THPs on use of various herbs in the traditional oral healthcare system and the detailed description of the preparation and treatment procedure that were practiced by the Garo THPs in the West Garo Hills of Meghalaya.