Comparison of the Effect of Iranian Toothpaste Containing Propolis with a Common Toothpaste on Plaque Index

Background and aim: Dental plaque is the main etiological factor in the development of dental caries, gingivitis and periodontal diseases. Antimicrobial agents in toothpaste can play an essential role in controlling and reducing microbial plaque. Herbex herbal toothpaste is the only Iranian toothpaste containing Propolis. This study aimed to compare the effect of this toothpaste with an ordinary toothpaste on the plaque index.
Material and methods: This double-blind cross-sectional clinical trial was performed on 46 dental students. The subjects were divided randomly into two groups of 23 individuals. Group 1 received treatment A or Herbex toothpaste (Iran) in the first period and treatment B or Crest anticavity regular toothpaste (Germany) in the second period. The primary and secondary plaque index was measured and compared using the O'leary index by the mean of disclosing tablets. To analyze the data, an independent T-test and Paired T-test used.
Results: Considering the data analysis, the mean difference between the primary and secondary plaque index in Herbex toothpaste was -6.813±5.749. In the Crest toothpaste, it was -7.341± 9.340 that was statistically significant in both types of toothpaste (P > 0.05). A comparison of two toothpaste types in terms of reducing the plaque index did not show a significant difference (P = 0.714).
Conclusion: Both types of toothpaste in the present study reduced the plaque index. There was no significant difference in terms of this reduction among the toothpaste containing Propolis and regular toothpaste.