Effect of an essenzial-oil containing mouthrinse on the reduction of plaque and interproximal inflammation in comparison with an ethanol solution

Objectives: To assess whether the well-documented action of a mouthrinse is due either to its content in essential oils as active ingredients or to its high concentration of ethanol as a solvent. Materials and methods: This randomized, controlled, parallel clinical trial lasted four weeks. Twenty-eight subjects were enrolled and equally divided into two groups of 14 subjects each. The first group was given a mouthrinse (Listerine), whereas the second group was given a hydroalcoholic solution containing 21.3% ethanol. All patients were instructed to rinse their mouth twice a day for four weeks. The approximal plaque index (API) and the papillary bleeding index (PBI) were used to assess hygiene and interproximal inflammation levels, which were measured at t 0, t14 e t28. Results: API and PBI indexes showed a statistically significant decrease in the first group; on the contrary, there were negligible variations in the control group. Conclusions: The results of this clinical trial suggest that the action of the examined mouthrinse is not due to its high concentration of ethanol, but to its contents in essential oils. © 2009 Elsevier Srl.