EFFECCACY OF ESSENTIAL OILS ON 4-DAY INTERPROXIMAL PLAQUE REGROWTH

Introduction Dental plaque is the most important etiological factor of periodontal diseases. Mechanical Plaque control is the most effective way in preventing periodontal diseases. Chemical plaque control methods (such as mouthrinses) have been recommended to be used because of some drawbacks in the mechanical methods in some areas of the dentition. But are these mouthrinses really effective in those areas? Aim The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of Essential Oils mouthrinse (Listerine®) on plaque formation in interproximal areas with Chlorhexidine and Sterile water. Materials & Methods The study was an observer-blind, 4-day plaque regrowth, cross over study. Sixty (60) dental students volunteered to participate in the study. They got a base line scale and polish then used one mouthrinse for 4 days as the only oral hygiene method and then plaque index (PI) was scored using Sillness & Lõe plaque index. Results Mouthrinse Mean Plaque Index % of Plaque-free Surfaces % of Interproximal Plaque-free Surfaces Essential oils 0.94 25 22 Chlorhexidine 0.53 54 42 Sterile Water 1.54 13 9 Conclusion Analysis of variance and construction of 95% confidence intervals showed that both Chlorhexidine and Essential Oils significantly reduced plaque as compared to the sterile water. The findings of this study suggest that the extent of reduction in plaque formation for Essential Oils is less than that of Chlorhexidine.