Comparison of the Clinical Efficacy of Herbal, Chlorhexidine, and Normal Saline Mouthwash in the Management of Chronic Gingivitis

• Published in: Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) Vol. 16; no. 2; p. e54336
• Main Authors: Sinha, Rakhee, Shil, Malabika, Srivastava, Bhavya, Narang, Deepak, Goswami, Poulami, Singh, Surbhit, C, Shivakumar G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Cureus Inc 16.02.2024; Cureus
• Subjects: Antimicrobial agents; Biofilms; Comparative analysis; Debridement; Dentistry; Females; Gender; Gum disease; Inflammation; Males; Variance analysis; normal saline; chronic gingivitis; gingival index; herbal mouthwash; chlorhexidine mouthwashes
• ISSN: 2168-8184; 2168-8184
• DOI: 10.7759/cureus.54336

The incidence of chronic gingivitis, a widespread inflammatory condition of the gums, is considerable across the demographic spectrum, with potential progression to advanced periodontal pathology in the absence of intervention. The objective of this investigation was to conduct a comparative analysis of the clinical effectiveness of various oral rinses in mitigating the symptoms of chronic gingivitis. This empirical study was conducted within the confines of the Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology. A cohort of 60 individuals diagnosed with chronic gingivitis, ranging from 18 to 45 years of age and inclusive of all sexes, was systematically selected for participation. Quantitative analysis yielded data indicating that the mean score on the gingival index was minimally recorded for participants utilizing herbal mouthwash (HO), in contrast to those administered with normal saline (NS), which displayed the highest mean score. A corresponding trend was observed with the plaque index, where the HO users exhibited the lowest mean values, as opposed to the NS cohort, which demonstrated the highest. Employing post-hoc statistical evaluations, a pronounced disparity in the mean gingival index was discerned favoring the chlorhexidine (CHX) and HO groups over the NS group. No statistical significance was detected in the comparative mean gingival index between the CHX and HO cohorts. This pattern of findings was paralleled in the plaque index assessments, where the NS group's values were significantly elevated relative to those of both the CHX and HO groups.