Comparative Evaluation Of Mouth Rinsing With Probiotic Herbal And Chlorhexidine Mouthwash On Salivary pH Of Children- A Randomized Control Trial

The maintenance of oral hygiene is one of the key elements of oral health. The oral cavity harbors bacteria and is exposed to environmental stimuli such as foods, chemicals, and temperature which remain in a balanced state during healthy state of mouth. However, imbalances in equilibrium of defense mechanisms and various stimuli lead to various oral diseases such as dental caries and periodontal diseases. Salivary pH has a direct effect in maintaining oral health. Acidic pH results in demineralization and gingival inflammation. Mouth rinsing results in clearance of debris and prevents accumulation of harmful bacteria, thereby promoting oral health. Saliva is a dynamic system which helps to maintain a balance of the carious process by various variables such as pH from a salivary fluid and buffer capacity. Salivary pH is a good indicator of demineralization which is the first step in the carious process. They are non-sterile aqueous solutions and used as an antibacterial agent which prevents the growth of bacteria in the mouth and teeth and for decreasing oral malodor. They are commonly used as topical solutions against plaque development, and also can be used frequently to prevent oral infections. Mouthwash supplements routine mechanical oral hygiene procedures in controlling supragingival plaque formation. Natural herbs when used in mouthwashes, have shown significant advantages over the chemical ones. Probiotics, another potential tool of anti-plaque activity, have been reported to have beneficial effects on oral health. Hence, the present study was designed with an aim to compare the effectiveness of herbal and probiotic mouthwashes with that of chlorhexidine (CHX) on salivary pH.