Effect of Parodontax on gingivitis in patients with fixed orthodontic appliances

Objectives: To test the effectiveness of herbal extract mouthwash solution (Parodontax®, GlaxoSmithKline, Bühl, Germany)in the treatment of gingivitis in patients with multi-band appliances. Methods: 40 patients with chronic plaque induced gingivitis were included in this double-blind, controlled clinical study. The following parameters were evaluated at baseline and 12 weeks: Plaque Index (PI), Papilla-Bleeding-Index (PBI) and Gingiva-Index (GI). Additionally to mechanical plaque removal by means of a tooth brush without tooth paste the patients rinsed twice daily for 1 min. with either Parodontax® (Test group) or sterile saline (Control group). Results: In the test group mean SBI changed from 39% to 8%, mean PBI from 1.07 to 0.17 and mean GI from 1.73 to 0.58 (p < 0.05). In the control group mean SBI changed from 34% to 33%, mean PBI from 0.88 to 0.8 and mean GI from 1.63 to 1.48 (n.s). There was a significant difference between the herbal extract solution and the control group (p< 0.05). No differences in terms of API and PI changes were found between the test and control group at 12 weeks. Conclusion: The tested mouthwash solution seems to be advantageous for gingivitis therapy as a supplement to mechanical oral hygiene in patients wearing fixed oral orthodontic appliances.