Introduction: Oral malodour is a social malady affecting people of all the age groups. Effective management of oral malodour is the key to improve the quality of life of such people.
Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of ayurvedic medication, G32 in controlling oral malodour and comparing the effects with Chlorhexidine (CHX).
Materials and methods: This was a single blind randomized controlled trial with parallel study design conducted at a hospital in the city of Udupi in Southern India. A total of 40 patients suffering with oral malodour, aged 17-35 years, were included in this trial. After inclusion into the study, the subjects were examined twice, with a one-week interval between both examinations. Volatile Sulphur Compounds (VSCs), gingival, plaque and tongue coating scores were assessed at both examinations. Subjects were randomly allocated to G32 group - ayurvedic formulation (intervention group) and CHX group (control group), and were provided with the respective formulations enough to be used twice daily for a period of one week. The difference between the mean scores of VSCs, plaque, and gingivitis and tongue coating were compared within the intervention and control groups, respectively, using paired t-test.
Results: Both test and control groups showed a significant reduction in VSCs, plaque and gingivitis levels. The percentage reductions in VSCs, plaque and gingivitis were found to be similar among the two groups. There was no significant difference between the preintervention and postintervention scores in both the groups.
Conclusion: G32, an ayurvedic medication, can be an effective tool to deal with oral malodour.
Keywords: Chlorhexidine; Oral malodour; Volatile sulphur compounds.