Herbal Mouthwash Effective for Gingivitis

by | Apr 9, 2018 | 2016, Botanicals, Oral Health

Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. The study suggests that mouthwash containing multiple herbs may be effective for gingivitis.

oral healthGingivitis is an inflammation of the gums due to bacterial infection (1), with more than half of U.S. adults having gingivitis in at least 3 to 4 teeth (2). Although eliminating the presence of dental plaque has been shown to prevent gingivitis and dental cavities (3, 4), brushing and flossing “are often difficult and ineffective for most people because these methods are unable to completely remove plaque on all tooth surfaces” (5, 6).

The ineffectiveness of brushing and flossing to completely eliminate plaque has led to the widespread use of mouthwash (8), with most commercial brands containing chlorhexidine gluconate (9). Because the long-term use of chlorhexidine gluconate has been associated with impaired tooth structure (10), a more natural antiplaque and antimicrobial mouthwash is needed.

Now a new study (11) suggests that mouthwash containing multiple herbs may be effective for gingivitis. The study involved 60 subjects (35 men, 25 women) aged 25 to 47. They rinsed with a mouthwash containing three different herbs (rosemary/ginger/calendula = 20 subjects), a mouthwash containing chlorhexidine gluconate (20 subjects) or a placebo mouthwash (20 subjects) twice daily (after breakfast and dinner) for 30 seconds for 14 days. The components of the herbal mouthwash contained 14 grams of extract of each herb added to 197.2 milliliters of water. Before and after the study, dental exams were conducted.

The researchers noted significant improvements in both the herbal and chlorohexidine gluconate groups compared to the placebo group regarding gingivitis severity (30), gingival bleeding (31) plaque area (23):

HerbalChlorhexidinePlacebop - value
Gingivitis Severity
(0-4 Scale)		100% decrease
(3 to 0)		100% decrease
(2.5 to 0)		0% decrease
(2 to 2)		< 0.001
Gingival bleeding
(0-2 scale)		100% decrease
(2 to 0)		100% decrease
(1.5 to 0)		0% decrease
(1 to 1)		< 0.001
Plaque area
(0-5 scale)		100% decrease
(2.5 to 0)		100% decrease
(2 to 0)		50% increase
(1 to 2)		< 0.001

When suggesting how the herbs caused these healthful effects, the researchers pointed to studies showing antibacterial (12), antioxidant (13), and gum-healing properties of rosemary (14, 15),anti-inflammatory (16) and antibacterial properties of ginger (17), and anti-inflammatory properties of calendula (18, 19).

For the researchers, “Polyherbal mouthwash containing hydroalcoholic extracts of Z. officinale, R. officinalis and C. officinalis (5%) was effective in the treatment of gingivitis and its efficacy was comparable to that of chlorhexidine mouthwash” though they recommend “additional clinical evidence particularly from longer term trials is required prior to this application.”

Source: Mahyari, Saman, Behnam Mahyari, Seyed Ahmad Emami, Bizhan Malaekeh-Nikouei, Seyedeh Pardis Jahanbakhsh, Amirhossein Sahebkar, and Amir Hooshang Mohammadpour. “Evaluation of the efficacy of a polyherbal mouthwash containing Zingiber officinale, Rosmarinus officinalis and Calendula officinalis extracts in patients with gingivitis: A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial.” Complementary therapies in clinical practice 22 (2016): 93-98.

Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS, practices in Hauppauge, NY.  As a Certified Strength and Condition Specialist and certified baseball pitching coach with the National Pitching Association, Dr. Arnold specializes in nutrition, conditioning, and injury prevention of baseball pitchers and student-athletes from all athletic backgrounds.  Dr. Arnold completed his Chiropractic studies at the National University of Health Sciences in Lombard, IL.  Visit his web site at www.pitchingdoc.com.

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