Comparison of Clinical Effects of Essential Oil-Containing Mouthwash and Chlorhexidine Mouth Wash in Patients Undergoing Fixed Orthodontic Treatment - Three-Month Follow-up Randomized-Controlled Trial.

Authors

Fazli Rabi, Naveed Sadiq, Muhammad Jamil, Sadia Asif Samdani, Waqas Naseem, Ferdous Bukhary, Umar Hussain, Alessandra Campobasso, Nikolaos Pandis

Published in

Clinical and experimental dental research. Volume 12. Issue 5. Pages e70477.

Abstract

This study aimed to compare the clinical effects of chlorhexidine (CHX) and essential oil-containing mouthwash (EOM) on periodontal health in patients undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment over a 3-month follow-up period.
This double-blinded, parallel-arm randomized-controlled clinical trial with a 1:1 allocation ratio was conducted at the Department of Orthodontics, Saidu College of Dentistry, Swat, Pakistan. Sixty participants aged 13-40 years undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment were randomly allocated to receive either 0.12% chlorhexidine mouthwash or Listerine essential oil mouthwash, dispensed in identical coded containers to ensure blinding. Participants were instructed to rinse with 10 mL of the assigned mouthwash twice daily for 30 s for 3 months while maintaining routine oral hygiene practices. The primary outcomes were the plaque index and the gingival index. Tooth staining was assessed as a secondary outcome (harm). Clinical outcomes, including the plaque index, the gingival index, and the stain index, were recorded at baseline, 1, 2, and 3 months by a calibrated examiner. Data were analyzed using generalized estimating equation models to evaluate longitudinal changes between groups, with statistical significance set at p ≤ 0.05.
The gingival index showed a significant change over time (Wald p = 0.02), with no statistically significant overall difference between the CHX and Listerine groups (Wald p = 0.07). The plaque index was significantly higher in the CHX group than in the Listerine group (Wald p < 0.001). The stain index was also significantly higher in the CHX group than in the Listerine group (Wald p < 0.001).
Both mouthwashes were associated with changes in periodontal health during fixed orthodontic treatment. Compared with CHX, EOM was associated with significantly lower plaque index and stain index scores, whereas no statistically significant overall difference between groups was observed for the gingival index.
This trial was retrospectively registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier: NCT07119840).

PMID:
42836614
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 06 Oct 2026.

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