But buyers must beware. Not all aloe vera tooth gel contains the proper form of aloe vera. Products must contain the stabilised gel that is located in the centre of the aloe vera plant in order to be effective. Products must also adhere to certain manufacturing standards.

Co-author of the study, D. George of Stanford University, explains that aloe vera 'must not be treated with excessive heat or filtered during the manufacturing process, as this destroys or reduces the effects of certain essential compounds, such as enzymes and polysaccharides'.

Although there are more than 300 species of the plant, only a few have been used for medicinal purposes, said a Standford release.

These findings were published in the the May-June issue of General Dentistry.