[Effect of oral rinse with Turkish gall on the clinical periodontal parameters and halitosis]

To assess the effect of traditional Chinese medicine, oral rinse of Turkish gall (extracts from Turkish gall) on periodontal and halitosis parameters.

This single-blinded randomized controlled trial recruited 70 patients with gingivitis or mild to moderate chronic periodontitis. All the patients received the same professional oral hygiene instruction and using toothbrush and fluoride-only paste with same brand and size dispatched by the investigator from baseline to the end. The tested group by oral rinse of Turkish gall on the base of conventional oral hygiene, and control group with conventional oral hygiene only, were assigned randomly at baseline. Then periodontal parameters including Plaque index (PlI), Bleeding index (BI), Probing depth (PD) and Staining index (SI), halitosis index including volatile sulphur compounds (VSCs) by Halimeter, organoleptic score (OS), area of tongue coating (Ta), thickness of tongue coating (Tt), were measured at baseline and two-weeks after.

After two weeks, all the periodontal parameters except for SI were significantly improved within each group (P<0.001). As compared to those in control group, the patients in tested group only exhibited significant improvement of PlI after two-week-use of oral rinse of Turkish gall (P<0.05). Though values of OS and Tt in tested group, OS only in control group, decreased significantly (P<0.05) respectively after two weeks, there were no statistical difference on the improvement of halitosis parameters.

For untreated patients with gingivitis and periodontitis, oral rinse of Turkish gall displayed significant inhibition of dental plaque, while no predominated effect on halitosis when compared to correct conventional plaque control methods.