Abstract
Background: Plaque control has been the key factor in maintenance of oral hygiene. Chlorhexidine (CHX) is considered as gold standard in the treatment of gingivitis, however side effects such as staining of teeth and altered taste sensation, limits its use for longer periods. Ayurvedic drugs, on the other hand, have been proved to be safer for long term usage. Tinospora cardiofolia (T. cardiofolia) also called as guduchi is known to have antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of Tinospora cardiofolia (T. cordiofolia) in the treatment of gingivitis and to compare its efficacy with the gold standard chlorhexidine. Materials and Methods: 30 systemically healthy patients with MGI score greater ≥2 were recruited for the study and were randomly assigned into 3 groups; Group A- Herbal mouthrinse: Group B- Placebo: Group C- 0.2% Chlorhexidine. Baseline indices were recorded. Thorough scaling was performed and plaque scores were brought to zero. Patients were instructed to use given mouthrinse 15 ml for 60 sec twice daily. All the indices were repeated at the end of 21 days. Results: Reduction of all indices scores were observed in all the groups at 21st day. Chlorhexidine showed better results when compared to Guduchi.