Comparative Evaluation Of The Effect Of Chlorhexidine, Alum, Hi-Ora And Terminalia Chebula Extract Mouthwashes On Salivary Microbial Count On 8-13 Year Old Children: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Abstract

Context: The most common dental diseases are plaque‑related infections. In recent years, there has been a lot of concern about caries prevention, especially in the developing countries and lower socio‑economic societies. Therefore, there is always a need to find a natural mouthwash that is economical, safe and simple to make in order to improve dental health and be used as a common home treatment. Aim: The aim of the present study was to compare the effect of chlorhexidine, alum, hi-ora and Terminalia chebula extract mouthwashes on salivary Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacilli in 8-13 year old children. Materials and Methods: The sample for the study consisted of 60 school children aged 8–13 years. Children were divided randomly into four groups with 15 children each and were asked to rinse with the prescribed mouthwash once daily for 1 month, a gap period of 2 months and again continue the mouthwashes for one month and then discontinue. Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S) and  Silness – Loe Plaque Index were recorded at baseline, 15^th, 30^th, 90^th, 120^th, and 180^th day. 2 ml of unstimulated saliva collection was done at baseline, 15^th, 30^th,90^th, 120^th, and 180^th day for microbial analysis of Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus. The data’s obtained was statisticaly analyzed using Kruskal Wallis Test and Repeated measures ANOVA, applied and tabulated using the SPSS software version 25.0. Results: The results of the study indicate that there was a statistically significant reduction in S. mutans and lactobacilli count in all the four study groups. Terminalia chebula extract mouth rinse was found to be the second most significantly effective antibacterial mouth rinse next to chlorhexidine mouthwash. Conclusion: The study demonstrated that alum-containing mouthwash improved plaque inhibition. Herbal mouth rinses such as Hi-ora and Terminalia Chebula have shown promising results, and thus, they can be considered as a newer alternative.