ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Mechanical removal of dental biofilm is the gold standard therapy in treatment of moderate periodontitis. Local delivery drugs as adjunctives to conventional treatment are widely used to modulate inflammatory host response and eliminate microbes. Nowadays, herbal therapies have been used as safe alternative agents in place of antibiotics to overcome antibiotics side effects.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of intra-pocket application of Cymbopogon citratus (lemongrass) gel on periodontal status.
MATERIALS AND METHOD: Forty patients with moderate periodontitis, divided equally into two groups. Group-I was managed by SRP with the intra-pocket application of 2% lemongrass oil gel. Group- II was managed by SRP with the intra-pocket application of a placebo gel. Bleeding on probing (BOP), plaque index (PI), probing pocket depth (PPD), and clinical attachment level (CAL) were measured for each group at baseline before and twelve weeks after treatment.
RESULTS: All assessed parameters showed improvement at the end of the study period in both groups compared to baseline. CAL, BOP, and PI showed a significant decrease from baseline to the end of the study in lemongrass gel group when compared to placebo group.
CONCLUSION: Combining intrapocket lemongrass gel with SRP was more effective in improving the clinical periodontal status than using SRP alone in the treatment of moderate periodontitis.
KEYWORDS: Lemongrass oil, Moderate periodontitis, Nonsurgical treatment, Phytotherapy.
Running title: Clinical efficacy of lemongrass oil gel.