The Effectiveness of Siwak Extract Dilution for Oral Health Care

Bacterial plaque is responsible for the initiation and progression of periodontal diseases and caries.In several studies showed that Siwak is used in many developing countries as the traditional means for oral hygiene. Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of the 50% Siwak extract dilution (SED) upon plaque index, plaque pH and saliva pH, comparing with brushing the teeth without tooth paste among Indonesian students. Methods: 40 healthy Indonesian volunteers aged 18 - 22 years included in a cross sectional study by convenience sampling. They were 30 subjects in test group rinsing with 50% SED not allowed to brush their teeth and 10 subjects brushing their teeth with tooth brush without tooth paste as control for 8 days period. The plaque index, plaque pH and saliva pH were assessed before starting the study in day 1, then in day 4 and 8. The data obtained was analyzed with Mann-Whitney U test using computer soft-ware SPSS 10.1. Results: Plaque index in the day 4th and 8th were significantly different (75.43±31.77; 126.37±47.97; 129.37±43.23) (p <0.01), but there was no significant difference for plaque pH and saliva pH in day 1st (6.32±0.40; 6.83±0.44), in day 4th (7.12±0.23; 7.47±0.24) and 8th (6.90± 0.38; 7.56±0.26). Conclusions: It can be concluded that the 50% Siwak extract dilution as mouth rinse could not inhibit the increasing level of plaque index. It could be use as adjunct in oral health care. (This study was supported by QUE Project Grant 2003/2004).