The Effect of Stingless Bee Honey Mouthrinse on Dental Plaque Accumulation

Mouthrinses are recommended as a complement to mechanical methods in oral hygiene procedures to prevent and control periodontal diseases. Chlorhexidine mouthrinse has been used as a chemical plaque control agent for many years. However, in spite of its potent antimicrobial and antiplaque properties, there have been various reports of the undesirable adverse effects of chlorhexidine mouthrinse. This creates the need to look for an alternative mouthrinse that can also help in controlling plaque. Stingless bee honey is an alternative agent which is increasingly known for its better properties and easily available compared to other types of honey. It has been reported to have many benefits for the oral cavity such as antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and healing properties which makes it a potential therapeutic agent in periodontal therapy. However, there is a lack of clinical studies showing its efficacy in plaque control as a mouthrinse. Hence, this study aims to investigate the ability of stingless bee honey mouthrinse to reduce plaque accumulation. This will be done through a randomised clinical trial whereby subjects will be prescribed with a mouthrinse formulation and instructed to refrain from any tooth cleaning procedure. The patient's plaque score will be recorded before and after the intervention to measure the effectiveness of the mouthrinse.