Assessment of the Efficacy of Alstonia scholaris, Calotropis procera, and Chlorhexidine Mouthrinses on Oral Health of Children Aged 9-12 Years: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

AIM AND

BACKGROUND

Chlorhexidine (CHX) is a gold-standard chemotherapeutic agent for preventing gingival and periodontal diseases. However, its drawbacks, such as metallic taste, burning sensation, and staining of teeth, make its acceptance questionable in children. To address this, the study aimed at the formulation of mouthrinses using herbal extracts of Alstonia scholaris and Calotropis procera plants, and evaluating and comparing its efficacy with CHX.

METHODOLOGY: The study was registered at CTRI (CTRI/2024/06/068874), which involved formulation of mouthrinses using the extracts, followed by a double-blinded clinical trial with 60 children aged 9-12 years, randomly assigned to three groups: A. scholaris, C. procera, and CHX. Parents were directed to dispense 10 mL of mouthrinse to their children two times a day for 14 days. The children were assessed at baseline and 14 days for plaque index, gingival index, salivary pH, and taste acceptability.

RESULTS

The intragroup comparison showed a statistically significant reduction in mean plaque scores across all three groups over 14 days. Additionally, the C. procera group exhibited a significant increase in salivary pH over 14 days (p < 0.05). The intergroup comparison revealed no statistically significant differences in mean plaque and gingival scores (p < 0.05). However, the C. procera group showed an increase in salivary pH compared to the other two groups (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the taste acceptability of the C. procera group was significantly better than that of the other groups (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The two herbal extracts were as effective as CHX in maintaining the oral health of children, with better taste acceptance, and can be considered as an alternative to CHX.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Mouthrinses formulated with A. scholaris and C. procera extracts can be safely and effectively used for children.

HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Valke PS, Shetty AJ, Naik SS, et al. Assessment of the Efficacy of Alstonia scholaris, Calotropis procera, and Chlorhexidine Mouthrinses on Oral Health of Children Aged 9-12 Years: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2025;18(S-1):S54-S60.