Abstract
BACKGROUND: Dental plaque may be attributed as a precursor to various oral health problems like dental caries, periodontal disease, halitosis, etc. With an ever-increasing awareness about the adverse effects of chemical formulations, emphasis is now being laid on the usage of herbal ingredients, as they are safer for long-term use in addition to their medicinal benefits. AIM: The present study aims to assess the anti-plaque and anti-inflammatory efficacy of herbal toothpaste compared to synthetic toothpaste among 20-40-year-old patients in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh. METHODOLOGY: In this study, 130 subjects aged between 20 and 40 years with poor oral hygiene status and signs of gingival inflammation corresponding with chronic marginal gingivitis were selected. Subjects in Group 1 were prescribed herbal toothpaste (KUDOS Ayurveda), whereas patients in Group 2 were administered non-herbal toothpaste. Clinical parameters of gingival health specifically gingival index (GI), patient hygiene performance (PHP), and approximate plaque index (API) were recorded at baseline, 14 days, 28 days, and 42 days. Chi-square test, student-independent t-test, and paired t-test were performed to find significant differences in various variables between the two groups at different follow-up visits. RESULTS: At the end of the study, a significant reduction in GI and API scores was obtained, along with increased PHP scores. The p-value was set at 0.05, and the power of the study was set at 0.95. There was a statistically significant reduction (p < 0.05) in GI and API and an improvement in PHP scores at various time intervals in Group 1 as compared to Group 2. Conclusion: Regular application of herbal extract dentifrices for 42 days provided a significant reduction of dental plaque and improvement in overall gingival health without any adverse effects. This instilled motivation in the patients to uphold proper oral hygiene. Hence, herbal dentifrices could be prescribed as an adjunct to periodontal therapy in the maintenance phase.