Background. Herbal mouthwashes nowadays are gaining popularity because they contain naturally occurring ingredients that achieve the desired antimicrobial and antiinflammatory effects. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of a commercially available herbal mouthwash (HiOra) with that of an essential oil-containing mouthwash, Listerine. Methods. A single-blind cross-over study was conducted on 30 dental students aged 18‒25 years. The subjects were randomly divided into two groups: A and B (n=15) and the study was divided into two phases. In phase 1, Listerine mouthwash was given to group A and HiOra mouthwash to group B. The plaque score was recorded with Turesky modification of the Quigley–Hein plaque index consecutively for 10 days. After 15 days of wash-out period, in phase 2 both groups were given the other mouthwash. Results. The plaque scores were compared and the difference between the HiOra and Listerine mouthwash was determined using Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney tests. The differences between plaque scores were statistically insignificant (P>0.05). The results showed that HiOra and Listerine mouthwashes yielded comparable results in plaque reduction. Conclusion. Herbal mouthwash was found to be a potent plaque inhibitor, yielding results comparable to those of Listerine mouthwash. These formulations may be more appealing because they do not contain alcohol, artificial preservatives, flavors or colors.

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