Effectiveness of Citronella (Cymbopogon Nardus) And Green Betel Leaf (Piper Betle) Mouthwash on Plaque Reduction

Abstract

Dental plaque is a soft layer that consists of a collection of microorganisms that multiply. Plaque is the main cause of oral diseases such as caries and gingivitis. Plaque control can be done chemically using mouthwash. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of citronella and green betel leaf mouthwash on reducing plaque scores. This is a quasi-experimental study, with pretest and posttest design. The population are children aged 8-10 years at SDN 09 North Pontianak (32 students). Sample was collected by total sampling technique. Mouthwash was made from mixture of filtered citronella juice and boiled green betel leaf. The results showed that the difference of mean plaque score before and after gargling with water was 9.09; before and after gargling using citronella  and green betel leaves mouthwash was 20.06. The Wilcoxon test shows a sig value of 0.000<(2-tailed) or a probability value (p) of 0.000<0.05. This shows that citronella and green betel leaves mouthwash can significantly inhibit plaque formation.