Clinical efficacy of an herbal mouth wash composed of Salix alba, Malva sylvestrais and Althaea officinalis in chronic periodontitis patients

BackgroundThe aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the adjunctive use of a herbal mouthwash consisting of Salix alba, Malva sylvestris and Althaea officinalis with scaling and root planing, compared with chlorhexidine (CHX) as a standard chemical mouthwash in the treatment of chronic periodontitis and gingivitis.Materials and methodsIn the first part of this trial (study No 1) the clinical efficacy of a prepared herbal mouthwash was assessed in chronic periodontitis patients; in study No 2, the same mouthwash was assessed in gingivitis patients. In study No 1, 30 periodontitis patients were randomly selected and divided into three groups. Along with their scaling and root planing, group A received CHX as their mouthwash, group B received a herbal mouthwash and group C received a placebo mouthwash. Each of the groups were assessed for bleeding on probing, probing depth and clinical attachment level at baseline and 6 weeks after scaling and root planing plus 4 weeks usage of their bottle of mouthwash. In study No 2, 34 gingivitis patients were divided into the same three groups. For 2 weeks patients rinsed with their mouthwash twice daily. Each of the groups were assessed for bleeding on probing, gingival index and plaque index at baseline and 2 weeks after using mouthwashes.ResultsIn study No 1 the results showed greater reduction in indices in the CHX group than the herbal mouthwash group and the herbal mouthwash compared to the placebo group. However, the differences in indices between the three groups were not statistically significant. No adverse reaction was seen in the herbal mouthwash group. In study No 2, the CHX and herbal mouthwash groups produced greater reduction in bleeding on probing and gingival indices than the placebo group, but the difference between groups A and B was not statistically significant. Furthermore, the reduction in plaque index in all three groups was statistically significant, but differences between the groups were not significant.ConclusionWithin the limitation of this small pilot investigation, an herbal mouthwash consisting of Salix alba, Malva sylvestris and Althaea officinalis, provided a clinical benefit comparable to that of CHX if used as an adjunct to scaling and root planing, especially in gingivitis patients, however, further large-scale studies are warranted.