Hirudotherapy in dentistry

Medicinal leeches have been used in medical and dental specialties over the past many years. Leeches have the property of bloodletting that makes them be used as a therapeutic modality. Leech therapy, also known as hirudotherapy, involves the application of medicinal leeches onto an affected area. Leeches suck the blood with an initial painless bite. Saliva of leech has many biologically active substances that make the therapy useful and unique. Hirudotherapy is used in many medical and dental disease conditions despite many complications arising from it. This article gives a brief review of hirudotherapy, its application in dental disease conditions, and its complications.