Effect of an Oral Rinse Extracted from Green Tea on Plaque Formation, Gingivitis and Halitosis

It has been reported that oral rinses extracted from green tea, which include catechin as a soluble ingredient for chemical plaque control, was effective in preventing experimental gingivitis in man. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of an oral rinse containing 0.25% catechin for prevention of plaque formation, gingivitis and halitosis. The subjects were 42 adult volunteers ranging in age from 22 to 48 years without any relevant medical or pharmacotherapy histories. Seven days before each study period, the volunteers underwent removal of plaque and calculus. The subject then requested to refrain from their normal hygiene methods for 7 days. In the catechin group, the subjects were asked to rinse with 10 ml of mouthrinse containing 1.0% green tea extract (catechin). In the control group, the subjects used mouthrinse for which tea extract components except for catechin were eliminated. Both groups rinsed for 30 s three times a day for 7 days. The subjects were not allowed to use a toothbrush or other cleaning devices during the study periods. This results were assessed using a double-blind, two mouth rinses cross-over design balanced for the 1 st and 2 nd periods. Clinical parameters (Plaque Index (PlI), Gingival Index (GI), gingival crevicular fluid level (GCF) and halitosis) were determined and microbiological samples were collected at the baseline, at 3 and 7 days after the start of the study. The oral rinse containing Japanese tea extract was found to be useful for prevention of halitosis. PlI and GI scores and GCF value in the catechin group were lower than in the control group during the study period. However, plaque formation and gingivitis were not control groups. significantly different between the catechin and