Antiplaque efficacy of mouthwashes on 3-day supragingival plaque regrowth: A randomized crossover clinical trial

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the antiplaque effects of an alcohol-free essential-oil (EO) mouthwash and a cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) mouthwash compared to a chlorhexidine (CHX) mouthwash as a positive control, using an in-vivo plaque regrowth model of 3 days. Methods:The study was designed as a masked, randomized, crossover clinical trial, involving 16 volunteers. After receiving thorough professional prophylaxis at baseline, over the next 3 days, each volunteer refrained from all other oral hygiene measures and performed two daily rinses with 20 ml of the test mouthwashes. A 0.20% chlorhexidine rinse served as a positive control. After 3 days, the plaque index was evaluated, and the participants answered a questionnaire on their opinion about the product used. Each subject underwent a 14-day washout period and, then, there was another allocation. Results: The CPC group showed a better effect on the inhibition of plaque growth than the EO group. In fact, the overall mean plaque index was lower with CPC (1.30) than with EO (1.73) and CHX (1.54). All these values were statistically significant (P<0.031). Conclusion: The CPC had better results in reducing bacterial plaque than EO and CHX.