Antiplaque, Antigingivitis and Anti-inflammatory Effects of Myrrh Mouthwash

This will be a single-center, triple-blinded, randomized, three-arm parallel, controlled trial in periodontally healthy adult volunteers (no clinical attachment loss and bleeding on probing < 10%). We will include all eligible patients seeking dental treatment at the center after gaining a written informed consent. After the initial dental screening and a session of professional teeth cleaning procedures, participants will be instructed to refrain from regular oral hygiene practices for 2 weeks to develop experimental gingivitis. Participants will then be randomly allocated to one of the three treatment groups [1:1:1] using a simple randomization method (i.e. computer-generated random numbers). They will be instructed to continue refrain from regular oral hygiene practices and use 10 ml of the assigned mouthwash twice daily for 1 minute. Treatment effect will be evaluated by comparing the baseline (day 0) and post-intervention (day 14) values of all clinical parameters (modified gingival index, plaque index, proinflammatory interleukin-1β biomarker, and Gingival Bleeding Index).

Inclusion criteria

• good periodontal health;
• dentition of ≥20 teeth and a minimum of 5 teeth per quadrant;
• the absence of any systemic illness;
• no history of oral prophylaxis in the past 6 months;
• no relevant medical history that might compromise normal oral hygiene practice.

Exclusion criteria

• pocket depth >3 mm
• severe misalignment of teeth;
• the presence of orthodontic appliances;
• intake of antibiotic and/or anti-inflammatory medications within the past 6 months;
• use of tobacco;
• inability of comply with the study's appointment schedule;
• pregnant or breast-feeding mothers.