Comparison of Antiplaque Efficacy of Commercially Available HiOra (Herbal) Mouthwash with Listerine Mouthwash: A Clinical Study

Background. Herbal mouthwashes nowadays are gaining popularity because they contain naturally occurring ingredi-ents that achieve the desired antimicrobial and antiinflammatory effects. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of a commercially available herbal mouthwash (HiOra) with that of an essential oil-containing mouthwash, Listerine. Methods. A single-blind cross-over study was conducted on 30 dental students aged 18‒25 years. The subjects were randomly divided into two groups: A and B (n=15) and the study was divided into two phases. In phase 1, Listerine mouthwash was given to group A and HiOra mouthwash to group B. The plaque score was recorded with Turesky modification of the Quigley–Hein plaque index consecutively for 10 days. After 15 days of wash-out period, in phase 2 both groups were given the other mouthwash. Results. The plaque scores were compared and the difference between the HiOra and Listerine mouthwash was deter-mined using Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney tests. The differences between plaque scores were statistically insignificant (P>0.05). The results showed that HiOra and Listerine mouthwashes yielded comparable results in plaque reduction. Conclusion. Herbal mouthwash was found to be a potent plaque inhibitor, yielding results comparable to those of Listerine mouthwash. These formulations may be more appealing because they do not contain alcohol, artificial preservatives, flavors or colors.