Table 2.

Summary of findings table (GRADE approach).

S. no.	Outcome/phytotherapeutic agent	Number of studies (design)	Effect on pain reduction	Certainty of evidence (GRADE)	Key considerations
1	Eugenol (clove oil)	3 RCTs	Consistently reduced pain in alveolar osteitis, pulpotomy, and pulpitis compared to placebo or standard care.	Moderate ⬤⬤⬤◯	Downgraded for some concerns in risk of bias; upgraded for consistency of findings.
2	Curcumin (turmeric)	5 RCTs	Mixed results: effective in some formulations (nanomicelle, mucoadhesive films), but not consistently superior to NSAIDs.	Low ⬤⬤◯◯	Downgraded for inconsistency and inaccuracy (small samples, variable formulations).
3	Ginger (Zingiber officinale)	3 RCTs	Comparable analgesic effect to ibuprofen in postsurgical and periodontal pain.	Moderate ⬤⬤⬤◯	Consistent across studies, but limited by small sample sizes.
4	Cannabidiol (CBD)	3 RCTs	Significant pain reduction in TMD and emergency toothache, dose-dependent effect.	Low to moderate ⬤⬤◯◯ to ⬤⬤⬤◯	Downgraded for small sample sizes and short follow-up; promising but emerging evidence.
5	Propolis	2 RCTs	Reduced postextraction and endodontic pain, comparable to calcium hydroxide.	Low ⬤⬤◯◯	Downgraded due to limited sample size and pilot study design.
6	Punica granatum (pomegranate)	2 RCTs	Reduced pain in recurrent aphthous stomatitis.	Low ⬤⬤◯◯	Downgraded for inaccuracy, small samples, and short-term outcomes.
7	Green tea extract	1 quasi-RCT	Did not significantly improve pain after free gingival graft.	Very low ⬤◯◯◯	Downgraded for risk of bias, inaccuracy, and inconsistency.