Antimicrobial Activity of Chlorhexidine and Herbal Mouthwash Against the Adherence of Microorganism to Sutures After Periodontal Surgery: A Clinical Microbiological Study

Introduction: Chemical plaque control agents assist to eliminate plaque microorganisms. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to compare the effectiveness of a herbal mouthwash (HiOra(TM)) and a mouthwash containing 0.2% chlorhexidine in preventing bacteria from adhering to sutures in participants who had had periodontal flap surgery. Material and methods: 75 patients with chronic periodontitis were included in the study and divided into three groups. Plain water, herbal, and chlorhexidine mouthwashes were given after periodontal surgery, and sutures were removed on the eighthpostoperative day and sent for microbial analysis. Further plaque index (PI) and gingival index (GI) were recorded at baseline and on the eighthpostoperative day. Results: Different aerobic bacterial species were isolated, namely Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), coagulase-negative staphylococci (Cons), Escherechia coli (E. coli), Klebsiella bacteroides, and Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans). Significant differences were found among colony-forming units (CFUs) of bacterial species in different groups, and it is found that chlorhexidine mouthwash is quite effective against the adherence of microorganisms to sutures after periodontal surgery as compared to the control group and herbal mouthwash group. Herbal mouthwash has less antimicrobial activity when compared to chlorhexidine, but herbal mouthwash is highly effective against microbial adherence to sutures when compared to the control group (plain water). Significant variations between groups are shown in the PI and GI scores, indicating that chlorhexidine is successful in lowering the PI and GI scores and that herbal rinse is also helpful in reducing these scores, but to a lesser extent than chlorhexidine. Conclusion: According to the findings of this research, sutures are at risk for developing bacterial infections. However, the adhesion of microbes to sutures may be decreased with the adjunctive use of antimicrobial medicines such as chlorhexidine and herbal mouthwashes, which will result in improved wound healing. Herbal mouth rinses are effective in killing germs. However, chlorhexidine is far more effective in this regard.