Effects of a Stingless Bee Honey Mouth Rinse on Dental Plaque Accumulation: A Randomised Clinical Trial

Background Mouth rinses are recommended as an adjunct to mechanical methods in oral hygiene procedures for the prevention and management of periodontal diseases. The currently used mouth rinses impose several side effects on patients, which include a burning sensation and altered taste. Alternatively, stingless bee honey (SBH) is a natural food with many health benefits, making it suitable as an active mouth rinse ingredient. Several characteristics, such as antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and healing properties, make it a potential therapeutic agent in periodontal therapy as well as in the oral cavity. This study aimed to investigate the ability of SBH mouth rinses to reduce plaque accumulation and to assess patient acceptance of their use. Methods This is a randomised pilot clinical trial performed on volunteers (N = 30) with healthy gingiva and/or mild gingivitis, who were randomly prescribed SBH, chlorhexidine (CHX), or normal saline (NS) mouth rinses, without oral hygiene practices for three days. Plaque scores were recorded prior to the experiment by a single examiner, blinded to the treatment allocation. Plaque accumulation and patient perception were recorded post-intervention using the plaque score and visual analogue scale (VAS), respectively.  Results At three days post-intervention, there was no significant difference in the plaque score of the SBH and NS groups (p > 0.05), compared to the baseline value. A significant decrease in the plaque score was found in the CHX group (p < 0.05), compared to the baseline. A significantly better taste and lower burning sensation were reported in the SBH group than in the NS and CHX groups, respectively. Conclusions The SBH mouth rinse did not promote plaque accumulation in the absence of oral hygiene and caused less burning sensation. CHX, however, has a greater ability to prevent plaque accumulation.