Comparative Evaluation of Efficacy of Drynaria Herbal Mouthwash and Chlorhexidine Mouthwash on Gingivitis: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

ABSTRACT:      Introduction: Herbal products are preferred widely to synthetic medications owing to their minimal adverse effects and cost effectiveness. Drynaria is a popular traditional medicine used for bone repair, inflammation, hyperlipidemia, arteriosclerosis, rheumatism, and osteoporosis. This study was aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Drynaria mouthwash in reduction of gingival inflammation in comparison with commercially available chlorhexidine (CHX) mouthwash.     Materials and Methods: This parallel arm, randomized controlled clinical trial was carried out on 30 participants with mild to moderate gingivitis who were divided into two groups. Scaling and root planning were done. Group A patients were given Chlorhexidine mouthwash (CHX) and Group B patients were given Drynaria Herbal mouthwash for 21 days. The clinical parameters assessed were Bleeding on Probing (BOP), Plaque Index (PI), and Gingival Index (GI) at baseline, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, and 4 weeks post use of the mouthwash.      Result: Drynaria mouthwash provided results that were significantly effective in improving all the clinical parameters.     Conclusion: Based on the results of the study, Drynaria as a mouthwash is nearly effective as Chlorhexidine mouthwash for the treatment of gingivitis.     Key words: Chlorhexidine gluconate, Drynaria, Herbal, Mouthwash, Gingivitis.