ABSTRACT
Context: Rice bran oil, owing to its potential antioxidant benefits, could be an effective and novel alternative to sesame oil for oil pulling. As it is safe and a growingly popular edible oil, it may be acceptable during pregnancy, especially in the Indian context where women may be hesitant to use chemical plaque control methods for preventing halitosis. Aims: The present study was conducted to compare the effects of oil pulling with rice bran oil, oil pulling with sesame oil, and oil pulling with chlorhexidine mouth rinsing on reducing halitosis among pregnant women. Settings and Design: Thirty pregnant women who attended the Gynecology Outpatient Department (OPD) of Muslim Medical Hospital, Haran Khana Road, Pani Gate, Vadodara, Gujarat, India, were recruited in the present randomized double-blind interventional study. Subjects and Methods: Eligible pregnant women individuals who gave consent for the study were randomly allocated to receive the interventions under investigation. Halitosis was measured at baseline and after 14 days of intervention using TANITA breath checker HC-212M-BL. Statistical Analysis Used: Data entry was done in Microsoft Excel 2007, and statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 17. Wilcoxon signed rank tests were used to interpret the differences in baseline and postintervention halitosis levels. One-way ANOVA was done to compare the mean reduction in halitosis scores of the three intervention groups. Results: There was a statistically significant reduction in the grades of halitosis at baseline and 14 days after intervention for all the three groups. There was no statistically significant difference between chlorhexidine mouth rinsing, oil pulling with sesame oil, and oil pulling with rice bran oil in halitosis reduction. Conclusions: Rice bran oil when used in oil pulling was effective in reducing halitosis. It performed comparably and marginally superior to other agents tested in the study when change in halitosis postintervention was considered.