Comparative assessment of medicinal plant extract efficacy against plaque and gingivitis: A case–control study

Background: In the last quarter of the 20th century, dedicated efforts have been made to use phytochemicals in the prevention of periodontal diseases, but the darker side of the coin is that we have hardly encountered studies with a scientific basis to prove the specific role of phytochemicals against dental plaque. Objective: This study aimed to assess the antiplaque activity of Curcuma longa, Spilanthes acmella, and Quercus infectoria and to determine the antigingivitis activity of the extract, which shows high antiplaque potential. Materials and Methods: Sixteen volunteers were selected as subjects in this biphasic study. In the first phase, 10 volunteers were subjected to topical application of aqueous ethanolic extract (1%) of C. longa, Q. infectoria, and S. acmella on the labial/buccal and lingual/palatal surfaces of 28 teeth. In the second phase, the extract showing the highest efficacy was selected to assess its antigingivitis activity on all the surfaces of six mandibular anterior teeth of six gingivitis patients. The percentage plaque reduction was calculated by dividing the difference of the base and end scores by the baseline scores. Results: C. longa demonstrated superior results as it showed the maximum reduction in plaque formation. Antigingivitis activity of long-term topical application of 1% C. longa was depicted in independent clusters in different volunteers selected for the study. Only after 2 weeks, the treatment score was found to be statistically significant to depict optimal results. Conclusion: C. longa can be considered the best at reducing plaque. The antigingivitis activity of C. longa ranked reasonably satisfactory and comparable to the existing data for commercially available drugs.