The efficacy of honey solution as plaque reducing agent

Background: Periodontal care is an important step of periodontal health management. Some chemically active substances have been studied as an adjunct to mechanical plaque control. Honey is a traditional topical treatment for infected wounds and have inhibitory effect to around 60 species of bacteria including aerobes and anaerobes, gram-positives and gram-negatives. Purpose: To compare the efficacy of 5% and 25% honey solution and aquadest as mouth-rinses to control dental plaque during 4 days period. Method: After a thorough prophylaxis, during 4 days period of no oral hygiene all subjects were rinsed with 10 ml mouth-rinse they received 3 times a day after meal. Group I rinse with 5% honey solution, group II with 25%, and group III with aquadest as control. Results: There were significant increases of plaque index within each group, but no differences between all three groups in every experimental day. The fact that the probability value from day 1 (0.766) were gradually decreased to day 4 (0.076). Conclusion: Anti-microbial properties of honey solution as mouth-rinse did not show any inhibition effect on plaque formation until day 4.