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The effect of an essential‐oils mouthrinse as compared to a vehicle solution on plaque and gingival inflammation: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Author(s) -
Van Leeuwen MPC,
Slot DE,
Van der Weijden GA
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
international journal of dental hygiene
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.674
H-Index - 38
eISSN - 1601-5037
pISSN - 1601-5029
DOI - 10.1111/idh.12069
Subject(s) - gingivitis , medicine , gingival inflammation , meta analysis , dentistry , cochrane library , significant difference , medline , political science , law
Abstract Objective The purpose of this review was to systematically evaluate the effects of an alcohol vehicle solution ( V ‐ S ol) compared with an essential‐oils mouthwash ( EOMW ) and if available with a water‐based control ( WC ) on plaque, gingival inflammation parameters and extrinsic tooth staining. Materials and Methods The P ub M ed‐ MEDLINE , Cochrane‐ CENTRAL and EMBASE databases were searched. Where appropriate, a meta‐analysis was performed, and difference of means ( DIFFM ) as calculated. Results In total, 971 unique papers were found of which five met the eligibility criteria. The DIFFM of the meta‐analysis of four 6‐month studies showed that the EOMW provided significantly better plaque control ( DIFFM = 0.39, P < 0.00001) and gingival inflammation reduction as measured by the L öe and S ilness Index ( DIFFM = 0.36, P = 0.00001) as compared to the V ‐ S ol. Regarding extrinsic tooth staining, a small but significant difference ( DIFFM = −0.08, P = 0.03) was observed. Conclusion Limited data, but with a low risk of bias, were available to assess the potential benefit of the alcohol‐containing V ‐ S ol. ‘High’‐ and ‘moderate’‐quality data were available for the analysis of plaque and gingivitis, respectively. Within these limitations, EOMW appears to provide a significant oral health benefit during the 6 months of use. The data retrieved for this review suggest that the essential oils produce an effect on plaque and gingivitis that extends beyond the V ‐ S ol. Furthermore, the V ‐ S ol proved to be no different from a WC .