A dressing serves as a barrier against physical and chemical insults for the delicate and vulnerable wound/surgical site. Periodontal dressings, also known as periodontal packs, provide similar benefits when applied after periodontal surgical procedures. They can broadly be categorized as eugenolbased dressings and noneugenol dressings. Amongst the popular non-soluble dressing materials, some studies suggested that long-term application of CoePak may increase its cytotoxic effects. Similarly, Ward's Wondrpak is highly cytotoxic, when compared with other available dressing materials other products. While Barricaid is cytocompatible when its polymerization is complete. Controversies surrounding the their use, advantages and disadvantages of the most commonly employed periodontal dressings and their current status in clinical practice are described in this comprehensive review. Choosing an optimal periodontal dressing is a difficult decision to make because they have to be compared under equal conditions.