Aloe Continues to Beat Chemical Mouthwash for Plaque
You see a lot of information on natural health for all parts of your body and mind. But you see very little on natural health for your gums and teeth. But natural health has a lot to offer dentistry.
Prevention and removal of dental plaque is an important part of oral hygiene. One of the most commonly used mouthwashes for preventing bacterial growth and plaque formation is chlorhexidine gluconate.
Chlorhexidine gluconate is a germicidal mouthwash. It cannot be swallowed, and it can cause severe irritation or chemical burns in young children. It has several common side effects, including staining your teeth, increasing tartar build up on your teeth and changing your sense of taste. It may also cause mouth irritation, swollen glands and irritation to the tip of the tongue.
Clearly a safe, natural alternative would be very welcome.
The new study was a single-blind, placebo-controlled study. Ninety people were given either a placebo, chlorhexidine gluconate (0.2% hexidine) or an aloe vera mouthwash that contained 99.6% aloe vera leaf gel. They each rinsed with 10ml of mouthwash for 1 minute, twice a day for 4 days.
Measurements of plaque decreased significantly in both the aloe and the chlorhexidine group, but it decreased significantly more in the aloe group (-1.22 versus -1.21). Plaque continued to get significantly worse in the placebo group.
The aloe also was better in terms of side effects. Chlorhexidine caused staining of the teeth in 40% of people compared to 0% in the aloe group. Chlorhexidine caused changes in taste sensation in 25% of people while aloe caused it in only 4% of people.
This study suggests, again, that aloe is more effective and safer than Chlorhexidine gluconate as a mouthwash for controlling plaque.
For more on natural health care for your gums and teeth, see Vol. 19, No. 11 of The Natural Path.
J Int Soc Prev Community Dent;2016;6(3):251-255
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