The comparative effects of 0.12% chlorhexidine and herbal oral rinse on dental plaque-induced gingivitis: A randomized clinical trial

A systematic review of medicinal plants and herbal products' effectiveness in oral health and dental cure with health promotion approach

Medicinal plants and herbal drugs are being used increasingly as part of primary health care in most parts of the world. As important adjunctive and alternative treatments for oral health care, herbal products' use may continue to increase and become more widespread. The objective of this study is to present a comprehensive systematic review of the current published literature on the effectiveness of medicinal plants and herbal products employed to improve oral health in adolescents with a health promotion approach. The systematic review was conducted according to the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The keywords "herbal medicine," "herbal extract," "herbal supplements," "plant extract," "natural drug," "pulpitis," "dental caries," "oral viral diseases," and "abscess" were used in combination with the Boolean operators OR and AND. PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched. Quality assessment of the included studies was performed using the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. The search yielded 49 original research studies. A total of 22 studies had low or unclear risk bias. The geographical distribution of included studies was primarily concentrated on western countries. Overall, studies reported herbal product users' age, ranging from young adults aged 18 years to elderly people aged 75 years or older. Most studies reported multiple compounds, including herbal drugs and herbal extracts. Chamomile and Aloe vera were the most frequently reported herbal compounds. The most commonly described herbal products to treat oral diseases were gels, mouth rinses, and pastes. The studies included a range of people with oral diseases, including periodontal and gingival diseases, recurrent aphthous stomatitis, oral lichen planus, and oral candidiasis. Herbal product interventions were found to be effective and safe alternatives for oral health care. One of the most important goals of the World Health Organization (until 2015) is the oral health index, so it is important that dental services be followed up more seriously. Considering the problems in reaching this goal of the World Health Organization in our country, herbal products have the ability to improve clinical oral health outcomes in adolescents. Limited adverse side effects indicate the overall safety of these treatments for a wide range of oral diseases. Therefore, the use of medicinal plants as well as alternative medicine is one of the useful methods in achieving this important goal of public health.

Green Alternatives as Antimicrobial Agents in Mitigating Periodontal Diseases: A Narrative Review

Periodontal diseases and dental caries are the most common infectious oral diseases impacting oral health globally. Oral cavity health is crucial for enhancing life quality since it serves as the entranceway to general health. The oral microbiome and oral infectious diseases are strongly correlated. Gram-negative anaerobic bacteria have been associated with periodontal diseases. Due to the shortcomings of several antimicrobial medications frequently applied in dentistry, the lack of resources in developing countries, the prevalence of oral inflammatory conditions, and the rise in bacterial antibiotic resistance, there is a need for reliable, efficient, and affordable alternative solutions for the prevention and treatment of periodontal diseases. Several accessible chemical agents can alter the oral microbiota, although these substances also have unfavorable symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, and tooth discoloration. Natural phytochemicals generated from plants that have historically been used as medicines are categorized as prospective alternatives due to the ongoing quest for substitute products. This review concentrated on phytochemicals or herbal extracts that impact periodontal diseases by decreasing the formation of dental biofilms and plaques, preventing the proliferation of oral pathogens, and inhibiting bacterial adhesion to surfaces. Investigations examining the effectiveness and safety of plant-based medicines have also been presented, including those conducted over the past decade.

A systematic review and meta-analysis on the comparative effectiveness of Salvadora persica - extract mouthwash with chlorhexidine gluconate in periodontal health

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Salvadora persica L., also known as miswak, is an indigenous plant most prevalent in the Middle Eastern, some Asian, and African countries. It has medicinal and prophylactics function for numerous illnesses, including periodontal disease. Various trials, apart from World Health Organization encouragement have contributed to the production and use of S. persica in extract form in the formulation of mouthwash. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to compare the clinical effect of Salvadora persica-extract mouthwash and chlorhexidine gluconate mouthwash for anti-plaque and anti-gingivitis functions.

METHODS

Using the PRISMA 2020 Protocol, a systematic search of the publications was undertaken from the MEDLINE, CENTRAL, Science Direct, PubMed, and Google Scholars for randomized control trials published through 31st January 2022 to determine the effectiveness of Salvadora persica-extract mouthwash relative to chlorhexidine gluconate as anti-plaque and anti-gingivitis properties.

RESULTS

A total of 1809 titles and abstracts were screened. Of these, twenty-two studies met the inclusion criteria for the systematic review while only sixteen were selected for meta-analysis. The overall effects of standardized mean difference and 95% CI were 0.89 [95% CI 0.09 to 1.69] with a χ² statistic of 2.54, 15 degrees of freedom (p < 0.00001), I² = 97% as anti-plaque function and 95% CI were 0.12 [95% CI -0.43 to 0.67] with a χ² statistic of 0.68 with 10 degree of freedom (p < 0.00001), I² = 89% as anti-gingivitis.

CONCLUSION

This review suggests that Salvadora persica-extract mouthwash causes a significant reduction of plaque and gingival inflammation. While the improvement is inferior to chlorhexidine gluconate mouthwash, S. persica-extract mouthwash may be considered as a herbal alternative to the user pursuing periodontal care with natural ingredients.

Salvadora persica: Nature's Gift for Periodontal Health

Salvadora persica (SP) extract, displays very valuable biotherapeutic capacities such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiparasitic and anti-inflammatory effects. Numerous investigations have studied the pharmacologic actions of SP in oral disease therapies but its promising outcomes in periodontal health and treatment are not yet entirely described. The current study has been planned to analyze the reported effects of SP as a support to periodontal therapy to indorse regeneration and healing. In consort with clinical trials, in vitro investigations show the advantageous outcomes of SP adjunctive to periodontal treatment. Yet, comprehensive supplementary preclinical and clinical investigations at molecular and cellular levels are indispensable to reveal the exact therapeutic mechanisms of SP and its elements for periodontal health and therapy.

The antiplaque/anticariogenic efficacy of Salvadora persica (Miswak) mouthrinse in comparison to that of chlorhexidine: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The plant Salvadora persica (miswak) has a long history of use in oral hygiene. Associations between the use of Salvadora persica and decreased oral bacteria numbers and plaque scores have been reported. This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the ability of Salvadora persica mouthrinses to reduce plaque/cariogenic bacteria, in comparison to that of chlorhexidine and/or placebo rinses.

METHODS

A comprehensive literature search for clinical trials reporting the use of Salvadora persica rinses as an antibacterial and/or antiplaque agent in comparison with chlorhexidine and/or placebo rinses was conducted, with no restriction to language. MEDLINE-PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Wiley Online Library, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar databases were searched to include all articles published up to December 2018. Based on inclusion/exclusion criteria, data were extracted from the identified reports by two independent reviewers. The primary and secondary outcomes measured from the eligible studies were mean plaque scores and mean cariogenic bacterial counts, respectively. Risk of bias of these studies was assessed. A statistical test of homogeneity was used to determine if the results of the separate studies could be combined. Based on the chi-square test, an inconsistency coefficient was computed (I2 statistic). Sensitivity analyses using subgroups and homogeneity evaluation were conducted.

RESULTS

A total of 1135 potentially eligible articles were identified, of which 19 were eventually included in the qualitative analysis whereas 18 were included in the quantitative meta-analysis. The meta-analysis showed that Salvadora persica rinses exhibited strong antiplaque effects (P < 0.00001, MD: 0.46, and 95% CI: 0.29 to 0.63). In addition, it had statistically significant anti-streptococcal (P < 0.0001, MD: -1.42, and 95% CI: -2.08 to - 0.76) and anti-lactobacilli effects (P < 0.00001, MD: -1.12, and 95% CI: -1.45 to - 0.79) when compared to placebo. However, its effects were inferior compared to those by chlorhexidine rinse (P = 0.04, MD: 0.19, and 95% CI: 0.01 to 0.37). Subgroup analyses yielded results similar to those prior to subgrouping.

CONCLUSION

The use of Salvadora persica extract was associated with a significant reduction in the plaque score and cariogenic bacterial count. Although, this reduction was lower than that achieved with the gold standard chlorhexidine mouthwash, Salvadora persica-containing rinse could be considered as a suitable oral hygiene alternative for use in individuals of all ages, socioeconomic backgrounds, and health conditions especially as a long-term measure due to its efficacy, safety, availability, cost-effectiveness, and ease of use.

The clinical evaluation of Vi-one chlorhexidine mouthwash on plaque-induced gingivitis: A double-blind randomized clinical trial

Background

Chlorhexidine (CHX) is the most effective antiseptic mouthwash to date. Essential oil such as thymol, have inhibitory and biocidal effects a range of bacteria.

Objective

To determine the effect of mouthwash containing CHX and thymol on plaque induced gingivitis.

Methods

This double-blind randomized clinical trial study was performed on 60 patients with plaque induced gingivitis who were randomly divided into two groups: Group I (CHX/thymol mouthwash-Vi-one) and Group II (CHX mouthwash-Behsa). Patients in each group underwent scaling and root planning and polishing, then were educated about BASS-Method brushing, and were recommended Oral-B toothbrushes and Pooneh toothpaste. The two groups were asked to rinse their mouths for 60 seconds twice a day, once in the morning and once at night, after brushing their teeth. Plaque index, gingival index, bleeding index and stain index were evaluated at baseline and 14 days later in Ramfjord teeth. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 21. Independent-samples t-test and paired-samples t-test were used for data analysis.

Results

The results showed that plaque index and gingival index significantly reduced in two groups (p<0.001). However, group I was significantly more efficient than group II (p<0.001, p=0.021 respectively). Similar results were observed in terms of bleeding index with the difference that the two groups did not differ significantly from each other (p=0.879). Both groups significantly increased the stain index. No remarkable difference was also observed between the two groups (p=0.754).

Conclusion

Based on the results of this study, we can conclude that the CHX/thymol mouthwash can be offered to patients with dental plaque-induced gingivitis, because it appears to be more effective in controlling dental plaque and gingivitis.

Trial registration

The trial was registered at the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (http://www.irct.ir) with the Irct ID: IRCT201602231760N45.

Funding

This study was part of a thesis and research project (Grant No: 9440921) supported and funded by Babol University of Medical Sciences. The authors received no financial support from Behsa pharmaceutical company (Behsa mouthwash manufacturer) or Rojin cosmetic laboratory (Vi-one mouthwash manufacturer) for this study.