Adjunctive use of essential oils following scaling and root planing - a randomized clinical trial

Background: Hitherto no study has been published on the effect of the adjunctive administration of essential oils following scaling and root planing (SRP). This study describes the effect of a mouthrinse consisting of essential oils (Cymbopogon flexuosus, Thymus zygis and Rosmarinus officinalis) following SRP by clinical and microbiological variables in patients with generalized moderate chronic periodontitis. Methods: Forty-six patients (aged 40-65 years) with moderate chronic periodontitis were randomized in a double-blind study and rinsed their oral cavity following SRP with an essential oil mouthrinse (n = 23) or placebo (n = 23) for 14 days. Probing depth (PD), attachment level (AL), bleeding on probing (BOP) and modified sulcus bleeding index (SBI) were recorded at baseline and after 3 and 6 months. Subgingival plaque was taken for assessment of major bacteria associated with periodontitis. Results: AL, PD, BOP and SBI were significantly improved in both groups after three (p < 0.001) and 6 months (p = 0.015). AL improved significantly better in the test than in the control group after 3 and 6 months (p < 0.001), so did PD after three months in the tendency (p = 0.1). BOP improved better in the test group after 3 months (p = 0.065). Numbers of Treponema denticola (p = 0.044) and Fusobacterium nucleatum (p = 0.029) decreased more in the test than in the control group after 3 months, those of Tannerella forsythia after 6 months (p = 0. 039). Prevotella micra (p < 0.001, p = 0.035) and Campylobacter rectus (p = 0.002, p = 0.012) decreased significantly in both groups after 3 months. Conclusions: The adjunctive use of a mouthrinse containing essential oils following SRP has a positive effect on clinical variables and on bacterial levels in the subgingival biofilm.