The Effect of Triphala and Chlorhexidine Mouthwash on Dental Plaque and Gingival Inflammation

Introduction: Mechanical removal of plaqueby means of brushing and flossing is time-consuming and is also technique sensitive. Hence, effective plaque control of 100% may not be rendered always by these techniques. Adjuncts in the form of medication or mouthwashes are always recommended to assist tooth brushing in plaque control. The use of herbal mouthwashes has been a boon to control the oral health-related problems. Triphala is one of the best-known combinations used for various ailments in Ayurveda. The present study is thus aimed at comparing chlorhexidine and triphala,asan anti-plaque agent, and for treating gingivitis among adult patients. Materials and Methods:Atotal of 210 patients were randomly divided into three groups: Group 1: Chlorhexidine (0.2%) Group 2: Triphala (0.6%) Group 3: Control group with no mouthwash. The examinations were done at baseline, 7 days, and 15 days using the gingival index and plaque index.Chi-square test was used to compare the inter- and intra-group findings usingSPSS 20.0 (Chicago, U.S.A). Results:Even though a higher percentage of patients showed greater improvement with Group 2 intervention than Group 1, the difference was not found to be statistically significant after 7 days of observation. After 15 days, the Group 2 patients showed lesser plaque accumulation compared to Group 1, yet this difference was not found to be statistically significant. With respect to gingivitis, even though more patients were showed improvement with respect toGroup 2 than Group 1 after 7 days and 15 days of observation, the difference was not found to be significant. Overall, the intervention with triphala provided better results than with chlorhexidine, but this was not statistically significant. Conclusion: Triphala and chlorhexidine help as an adjunct to toothbrushing for the control of plaque and resultant gingivitis. Triphala can be used as a substitute to avoid the side effects of the long-term use of chlorhexidine.