Antiplaque Effects of Three Mouthwashes Along with Placebo Among 20–25-year-old Subjects: A Randomized Double-blind Clinical Trial

Introduction Dental plaque is the primary contributor to gingivitis, characterized by gum inflammation evident as redness at the gum line, along with mild swelling and bleeding. Aim and Objectives The study aimed to evaluate the antiplaque effects of three mouthwashes: chlorhexidine, holy basil, and Triphala, in comparison to a placebo control among 20–25-year-old subjects at the Institute of Dental Sciences, Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh, India. Materials and Methods A randomized, double-blind, four-arm clinical trial was conducted among 40 periodontally healthy participants aged 20–25 years. Participants were randomly allocated to four equal groups ( n = 10 each) receiving 0.2% chlorhexidine, holy basil mouthwash, Triphala mouthwash, or placebo (sterile water). Participants refrained from all mechanical oral hygiene procedures for 5 consecutive days while rinsing twice daily with the assigned mouthwash. Plaque accumulation was assessed using the Silness and Löe Plaque Index at baseline (Day 0) and Day 5. Intragroup comparisons were performed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and intergroup comparisons were performed using the Kruskal–Wallis test. Statistical significance was set at p < .05. Results All four groups demonstrated statistically significant reductions in plaque scores from baseline (Day 0) to Day 5. The greatest mean reduction was observed in the chlorhexidine group (0.40), followed by holy basil (0.28), Triphala (0.21), and placebo (0.13). Within-group analysis using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test showed statistically significant reductions in plaque scores in the chlorhexidine ( Z = −2.675, p = .007), holy basil ( p = .013), Triphala ( p = .021), and placebo ( p = .016) groups. However, the intergroup comparison using the Kruskal–Wallis test showed no statistically significant difference among the four groups ( χ ² = 3.804, p = .283). Conclusion All four mouthwashes demonstrated significant reductions in plaque scores over the five-day study period, with chlorhexidine showing the greatest numerical reduction. However, no significant intergroup differences were observed, highlighting the need for larger, adequately powered randomized controlled trials to establish the comparative efficacy of herbal mouthwashes.