Comparison of the efficacy of Matrica and %0.2 Chlorhexidine mouthwashes on 3-6 mm pockets in patients with chronic periodontitis

Natural mouthwashes demonstrate fewer side effects than synthetic ones, therefore several investigators have studied the possibility of replacing artificial mouth rinses with herbal mouthwashes. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of Matrica (a herbal mouthwash) and chlorhexidine (a synthetic mouthwash) in patients with 3-6 mm probing pocket depths (PPD) with chronic periodontitis. In a double-blinded clinical trial, 32 patients (10 male and 22 female age range, 30-50 years), were selected from those referred to the Faculty of Dentistry, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, according to the inclusion criteria. PPD and papillary bleeding index (PBI) were evaluated for all subjects and phase 1 treatment including scaling and root planning was performed. The patients were divided into 2 equal groups. The study and control groups received Matrica and chlorhexidine, respectively. The parameters were reevaluated after 1 month. Statistical analysis consisted of Mann-Whitney test and Univariant Analysis of Variance. Both mouthwashes improved PPD and PBI. Chlorhexidine was significantly more effective than Matrica in the reduction of PPD (0.94mm and 0.74mm, respectively). On the contrary, Matrigel proved to be significantly more effective on PBI as compared to chlorhexidine (91% versus 79%, respectively). Tooth staining was observed in all Matrica users. With respect to decreasing PPD, chlorhexidine performed better than Matrica while Matrica was more effective in the elimination of inflammation and PBI. Therefore Matrica is preferred to chlorhexidine during gingivitis treatment.