Efficacy of a herbal extract gel in the treatment of gingivitis: A clinical study

Abstract

Background:Chronic gingivitis is the most prevalent in all dentate animals. Regular methods for controlling it have been found to be ineffective, which have paved the way for the use of herbal products as an adjunctive to mechanical therapy as they are free to untoward effects and hence can be used for a long period of time.Objective:The antigingivitis effect of a gel containing pomegranate extract was evaluated using a 21-day trial in patients with chronic gingivitis.Materials and Methods:Forty patients participated in this randomized clinical study, carried out in four phases of 7 days each over 21 days. The patients were randomly assigned to four groups: First group was treated with mechanical debridement and an experimental gel and the second group with mechanical debridement and a control gel; the third group wasn’t subjected to mechanical debridement and only experimental gel was used. The fourth group was treated with control gel only. All the groups were subjected to various clinical and microbiological parameters to evaluate the antiplaque and antigingivitis effect of the pomegranate extract.Results:The group which used the pomegranate gel along with mechanical debridement showed significant improvement in all the clinical and microbiological parameters included in the study when compared with the other three groups.Conclusion:Hence it can be concluded that the pomegranate gel when used as an adjunct with mechanical debridement was efficient in treating gingivitis.

The Pomegranate: Effects on Bacteria and Viruses That Influence Human Health

“…There is an incentive to use alternative plant-based preparations as an adjunctive to mechanical therapy in the prevention and treatment of gingivitis, due to the health risks imposed by long-term use of chemical and pharmaceutical preparations and the lack of available dental care in lesser-developed countries. Results of a randomized clinical study of 40 patients with chronic gingivitis showed that significant improvements were obtained in the group that used a pomegranate extract gel along with mechanical debridement for 7 days when compared with patients using only control gel or mechanical debridement for the 7-day test period [45]. Another placebocontrolled human clinical trial of 32 young adults examined salivary measures relevant to oral health and gingivitis after using a pomegranate extract mouth rinse three times per day for 4 weeks or a placebo rinse [46].…”

Evaluation of the Efficacy of Guava Extract as an Antimicrobial Agent on Periodontal Pathogens

“…29 It is also reported that it can be beneficial in oral diseases like periodontitis [30][31][32] and gingivitis. 33 The present study assessed the activity of guava, particularly against putative periodontal pathogens. Collectively, the putative periodontal pathogens tested were A. actinomycetemcomitans and P. gingivalis.…”

Punica granatum (Pomegranate) fruit and its relevance in Oral Hygiene

“…Furthermore, the pomegranate extract results had been comparable to that of the chlorhexidine rinse. 47 …”