RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: Pomegranate is proven to possess effective antibacterial and anti-infl ammatory properties. Hence, we evaluated the effi cacy of pomegranate mouthrinse on plaque accumulation, gingivitis and total salivary proteins among adolescents aged 15 to 19 years over a period of three months. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A double-blind, single-center, controlled clinical trial was conducted among 40 adolescents. The participants were randomly allocated into two groups, pomegranate and placebo, and were requested to use the mouthrinse twice daily. Plaque and gingival indexes were recorded at baseline, 30, 60 and 90 days; total salivary proteins were measured at baseline and after 9 months. Repeated measure ANOVA and post-hoc tests were used for within group comparisons; independent t-tests were used for between group comparisons. RESULTS: Pomegranate mouthrinse reduced the mean plaque and gingival index scores significantly at 3, 6 and 9 months follow-up compared to placebo, and it significantly reduced total salivary proteins from baseline until 90 days compared to placebo. CONCLUSIONS: Pomegranate extract mouthrinse was effective in reducing plaque accumulation, gingival inflammation and total salivary protein count at 30, 60 and 90 days of follow-up and can be considered an effective alternative to chemotherapeutics in treating gingivitis without any side effects.
