Comparison of Oral Disease Prevention Effects between Saline and Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Mouthwash

Abstract

Chemical mouthwashes are widely used in oral health care. However, they are unpleasant to use due to their strong smell and taste, and they have many side effects after long-term use. This study was conducted to confirm the preventive effect on oral diseases of using oral gargles with Glycyrrhiza uralensis, a natural medicine that has broad antibacterial activity and has been proven to be harmless to the human body. Fifteen patients who had no systemic disease and had complete data from among the patients who visited M Dental Clinic in Busan, South Korea were divided into three groups: five in the control group with no gargle; five in the saline gargle group, and five in the Glycyrrhiza uralensis gargle group. They were all instructed to gargle with 15 ml of their assigned mouthwash for 1 min and then to spit for 1 min to remove the remaining gargle solution. Then their O’Leary index, dental caries activity, bacterial species, and bacterial motility were measured. Significant decreases in all four indices were noted in the Glycyrrhiza uralensis gargle group, unlike in the saline gargle group (p< 0.05). Thus, safe and effective oral care can be achieved by gargling with Glycyrrhiza uralensis.