Comparative evaluation of the efficacy of Triphala gel and chlorhexidine digluconate gel in management of patients with chronic gingivitis: A randomized clinical trial

Abstract

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of Triphala gel and chlorhexidine digluconate gel in the management of patients with chronic gingivitis. Materials and Methods: A total of 46 subjects diagnosed with mild to moderate chronic gingivitis were enrolled for this study after obtaining their informed consent. In their first visit, a detailed case history was recorded including gingival index, plaque index, and sulcus bleeding index at baseline; then full-mouth scaling and polishing was performed on the first visit by a single calibrated examiner. These subjects were then randomly allocated using computer-generated random numbering sequence method into two groups. Subjects in group A received Triphala gel (HiOra-GA gel, Himalaya Drug, Bengaluru, India) and group B received chlorhexidine digluconate gel (Hexigel, ICPA Health Products, Mumbai, India) for home application. The posttreatment follow-up examinations for gingival index, plaque index, and sulcus bleeding index changes were assessed after 14 days at second visit and 28 days at third visit and compared with baseline data. Results: The mean gingival, plaque, and sulcus bleeding index scores significantly decreased after 14- and 28-day intervals as compared to baseline scores with no significant difference in both the groups. Conclusion: Both Triphala gel and chlorhexidine digluconate gel were effective when used along with oral prophylaxis in the management of subjects with chronic gingivitis. Hence, Triphala gel can be considered as an alternative to chlorhexidine digluconate gel in the management of chronic gingivitis.