Gingivitis is a common and reversible inflammatory condition caused by dental plaque accumulation, which, if left untreated, can progress to periodontitis. Conventional oral care products like chlorhexidine (CHX) and fluoride are effective in plaque control but are often associated with adverse effects such as dental staining and mucosal irritation. This systematic review aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of natural versus conventional toothpastes and mouthwashes in managing plaque-induced gingivitis. The review followed PRISMA guidelines and was registered in PROSPERO (No. 1008296). A systematic search was conducted across PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus for English-language clinical studies published between 2015 and 2025. Eligible studies included randomized controlled trials and clinical trials on human subjects with plaque-induced gingivitis. Exclusion criteria were studies on animals, in vitro experiments, review articles, and studies lacking control groups. Data extracted included intervention type, sample characteristics, clinical indices (PI, GI, SBI), inflammatory biomarkers, adverse events, and patient adherence. A narrative synthesis was conducted due to study heterogeneity. Fifteen studies were included. Natural products such as neem, green tea, aloe vera, and propolis demonstrated comparable effectiveness to CHX and fluoride in reducing gingival inflammation and plaque indices, with a lower incidence of side effects. In particular, natural formulations showed superior tolerability and better patient compliance, especially in long-term use. However, variability in concentration and the formulation of natural products limits their clinical standardization. In conclusion, natural oral care products appear to be effective and better-tolerated alternatives to conventional agents in managing gingivitis. Nonetheless, further long-term, standardized clinical trials are needed to confirm their efficacy and define optimal formulations.
Inchingolo et al. (Thu,) studied this question.