Essential Oils
Place in Therapy
Place in Therapy
Essential oil mouth rinses commonly contain the following essential oils: thymol, menthol, eucalyptol, and methyl salicylate. Relative to other mouth rinses, antiseptic essential oil mouthwashes result in a high degree of plaque and gingivitis reduction.1 Therefore, essential oils are effective adjuncts in helping control the development of supragingival plaque and in reducing subsequent gingivitis.1 To prevent gingivitis, rinsing the mouth with essential oils is effective only when accompanied with mechanical removal of plaque by brushing the teeth after each meal and at bedtime, and flossing once daily.1 However, the prevention and treatment of gingivitis also requires dental cleaning to remove all traces of plaque and tartar,2 as well as fixing of dental restorations and cleaning of removable dental prostheses.3 Therefore, rinsing twice daily with essential oils is appropriate as adjunctive therapy in the prevention and treatment of gingivitis, and must be used in conjunction with mechanical methods of plaque control and professional dental cleaning. Patients taking metronidazole or disulfiram should avoid ingestion of essential oils.4
References
1. Bourassa M. Chapter 88. Oral Hygiene, Dental Plaque and Caries. In: Patient Self-Care. 2nd ed. Ottawa: Canadian Pharmacists Association; 2010.
2. Gordon JM, Lamster IB, Seiger MC. Efficacy of Listerine antiseptic in inhibiting the development of plaque and gingivitis. J Clin Periodontol. 1985 Sep;12(8):697-704.
3. Gingivitis Treatment and Drugs. Mayo Clinic. Updated Nov 18, 2010. Accessed July 3, 2013. <http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gingivitis/DS00363/DSECTION=treatments-and-drugs>
4. Listerine antiseptic mouthwash for plaque and gingivitis. Natural Standard. Updated Jan 2001. Accessed Jun 09, 2013. <http://www.naturalstandard.com/news/news200101001.asp#>
5. Lamster IB. The effect of Listerine antiseptic on reduction of existing plaque and gingivitis. Clin Prev Dent 1983;5:12-16.
6. Gordon JM, Lamster IB, Seiger MC. Efficacy of Listerine antiseptic in inhibiting the development of plaque and gingivitis. J Clin Periodontol. 1985 Sep;12(8):697-704.
A randomized controlled trial was conducted in patients with plaque and gingivitis, which demonstrated that mean plaque scores were significantly reduced using Listerine in comparison to the vehicle control and sterile water.4,5 This study was done over a 6-month period and included 129 adults. A second randomized double-blind study compared plaque and gingival scores of patients rinsing twice daily with Listerine, a vehicle control, or water.4,6 All patients initially received several dental prophylaxis treatments prior to initiating intervention with the mouthwashes. Again, Listerine demonstrated statistically significant reductions in plaque and gingivitis compared to sterile water and the vehicle control. 4,6
Essential oil mouth rinses commonly contain the following essential oils: thymol, menthol, eucalyptol, and methyl salicylate. Relative to other mouth rinses, antiseptic essential oil mouthwashes result in a high degree of plaque and gingivitis reduction.1 Therefore, essential oils are effective adjuncts in helping control the development of supragingival plaque and in reducing subsequent gingivitis.1 To prevent gingivitis, rinsing the mouth with essential oils is effective only when accompanied with mechanical removal of plaque by brushing the teeth after each meal and at bedtime, and flossing once daily.1 However, the prevention and treatment of gingivitis also requires dental cleaning to remove all traces of plaque and tartar,2 as well as fixing of dental restorations and cleaning of removable dental prostheses.3 Therefore, rinsing twice daily with essential oils is appropriate as adjunctive therapy in the prevention and treatment of gingivitis, and must be used in conjunction with mechanical methods of plaque control and professional dental cleaning. Patients taking metronidazole or disulfiram should avoid ingestion of essential oils.4
References
1. Bourassa M. Chapter 88. Oral Hygiene, Dental Plaque and Caries. In: Patient Self-Care. 2nd ed. Ottawa: Canadian Pharmacists Association; 2010.
2. Gordon JM, Lamster IB, Seiger MC. Efficacy of Listerine antiseptic in inhibiting the development of plaque and gingivitis. J Clin Periodontol. 1985 Sep;12(8):697-704.
3. Gingivitis Treatment and Drugs. Mayo Clinic. Updated Nov 18, 2010. Accessed July 3, 2013. <http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gingivitis/DS00363/DSECTION=treatments-and-drugs>
4. Listerine antiseptic mouthwash for plaque and gingivitis. Natural Standard. Updated Jan 2001. Accessed Jun 09, 2013. <http://www.naturalstandard.com/news/news200101001.asp#>
5. Lamster IB. The effect of Listerine antiseptic on reduction of existing plaque and gingivitis. Clin Prev Dent 1983;5:12-16.
6. Gordon JM, Lamster IB, Seiger MC. Efficacy of Listerine antiseptic in inhibiting the development of plaque and gingivitis. J Clin Periodontol. 1985 Sep;12(8):697-704.
A randomized controlled trial was conducted in patients with plaque and gingivitis, which demonstrated that mean plaque scores were significantly reduced using Listerine in comparison to the vehicle control and sterile water.4,5 This study was done over a 6-month period and included 129 adults. A second randomized double-blind study compared plaque and gingival scores of patients rinsing twice daily with Listerine, a vehicle control, or water.4,6 All patients initially received several dental prophylaxis treatments prior to initiating intervention with the mouthwashes. Again, Listerine demonstrated statistically significant reductions in plaque and gingivitis compared to sterile water and the vehicle control. 4,6