Background: Gingivitis is primarily caused by dental plaque. Several chemical agents have been incorporated into mouthwashes to guard against plaque accumulation and in the management of gingivitis. Neem was introduced as a herbal alternative treatment of gingivitis with few side effects.
Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the gingival bleeding among a group of children suffering from gingivitis after using Neem extract mouthwash versus Chlorhexidine mouthwash.
Participants and Methods: This randomized clinical trial involved 96 children suffering from gingivitis, and aged 8 to 10 years. Children were randomly divided into two equal groups. Group A: used 2% Neem extract mouthwash. Group B: used 0.125% Chlorhexidine mouthwash. Sulcus bleeding index (SBI)was recorded before the intervention and after 21 days.
Results: The mean differences in SBI scores between the two treatment groups were statistically significant (p=0.010)
Conclusion: Neem extract mouthwash had higher efficacy than Chlorhexidine mouthwash in controlling gingival bleeding and in decreasing SBI scores in the study group. Neem mouthwash could be a very good cost-effective alternative to Chlorhexidine mouthwash.