The Effect of Stingless Bee Honey Mouthrinse on Dental Plaque Accumulation: A Randomised Clinical Trial

Background: Mouthrinses are recommended as an adjunct to mechanical methods in oral hygiene procedures for the prevention and management of periodontal diseases. Stingless bee honey (SBH) is a natural food with many health benefits. It has been reported to be beneficial for the oral cavity such as antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and has healing properties making it a potential therapeutic agent in periodontal therapy. This study aims to investigate the ability of stingless bee honey mouthrinse to reduce plaque accumulation and to assess the patients’ acceptance towards its use. Methods: This is a pilot randomised clinical trial performed on volunteers (N=30) with healthy gingiva and/or mild gingivitis randomly prescribed with SBH, chlorhexidine (CHX) or normal saline (NS) mouthrinse without oral hygiene practice for three days. Plaque accumulation and patient perception were recorded post-intervention using plaque score and visual analogue scale (VAS) respectively. Results: Post-intervention after three days, there was no significant change in plaque score in SBH and NS groups ( p >0.05) compared to baseline. Significant plaque score reduction was found in the CHX group ( p <0.05) compared to the baseline. A significantly better taste and lower burning sensation were reported in the SBH group compared to the NS and CHX groups respectively. Conclusions: SBH mouthrinse effectively prevented a significant increase in plaque accumulation in the absence of oral hygiene, with less burning sensation. However, chlorhexidine has a better ability to prevent plaque accumulation. Trial registration : This study was retrospectively registered on 24/1/2024 at ClinicalTrials. gov (No. NCT06223243).