Abstract
PURPOSE: To assess the efficacy of an anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory RSV-mouthwash in reducing halitosis-related P. gingivalis and clinical periodontal parameters (plaque index [PI], gingival index [GI], and bleeding on probing [BOP]) in undergraduate dental students with plaque-induced gingivitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This research was conducted as a randomized, triple-blind clinical trial involving 54 participants who had halitosis associated with plaque-induced gingivitis. Resveratrol (RSV) mouthwash was used by the test group, and 0.2% CHX digluconate mouthwash was used as the positive control. The mouthwash used in the negative control group was distilled water (DW). Clinical parameters, including PI, GI, and BOP, were examined at the baseline appointment and again after one week of using mouthwashes alongside routine oral hygiene measures. Porphyromonas gingivalis was chosen as the target microbe due to its known status as a major pathogen linked to periodontal disease and bad breath. The presence of P. gingivalis was evaluated and compared before and after treatment by real-time PCR. During the last appointment, the participants responded to an mouthwash-assessment questionnaire based on a visual analog scale (VAS). Data description, analysis, and presentation were performed using the SPSS, with the significance level set at p 0.05. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT06882564). RESULTS: RSV and CHX statistically significantly reduced halitosis scores, PI, BOP, GI, and the level of P. gingivalis in plaque samples. According to participants' answers to the mouthwash survey, there were no statistically significant differences between RSV and CHX. CONCLUSION: RSV mouthwash has a statistically significant effect on the treatment of P. gingivalis-related halitosis when used as an adjunct to routine oral care. RSV caused a statistically significant decrease in clinical periodontal parameters, including PI, BOP, GI, and halitosis scores, with a statistically significant reduction in the level of P. gingivalis. Thus, RSV shows promising short-term efficacy and warrants further longer-term and larger-scale studies.