title: Effects of herbal and non-herbal toothpastes on plaque and gingivitis: A clinical comparative study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Presence of plaque may be the culprit for dental caries, gingivitis, periodontal problems, and halitosis. Many mechanical aids are practiced worldwide to remove or control plaque, including tooth brushes, dental floss, mouth rinses, and dentifrices. The objective of this clinical study was to investigate the effectiveness of herbal toothpaste (Dabur Red) in controlling plaque and gingivitis, as compared to conventional (non-herbal) dentifrice (Pepsodent).
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, 30 subjects aged 35-43 years with established gingivitis and at least 20 natural teeth, and having a probing depth <3 mm were investigated. After the washout period, plaque and gingival index (PI and GI, respectively) scores were assessed at days 0 and 30. Differences between groups were compared with Mann-Whitney U test and the mean scores of PI and GI by Wilcoxon test. Statistical difference between the weights of dentifrices tubes on days 0 and 30 was evaluated by Student's t-test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the end of 30 days of the study, there was statistically significant difference between both the groups for plaque and gingival scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  After 30 days of trial, both test and control groups showed effective reduction of plaque and gingivitis, which was statistically significant. No adverse reactions to dentifrices products were observed during the trial. It was concluded that herbal dentifrice was as effective as non-herbal dentifrices in the control of plaque and gingivitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology, Rama Dental College, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Aravind
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tatikonda
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology, Navodaya Dental College and Hospital, Raichur, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Surangama
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Debnath
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology, Hitkarni Dental College and Hospital, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Vivek Singh
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Chauhan
authors.affiliation: Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, KLE's Dental College, Belgaum, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Vishwajit Rampratap
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Chaurasia
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry, Ultra Best Dental College, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taranath
authors.affiliation: Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, KLE's Dental College, Belgaum, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Akanksha Manmohan
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Sharma
keywords: Anti-plaque; gingivitis; herbal; non-herbal; toothpaste