Limited benefit of copaifera oil on gingivitis progression in humans.

AIM The aim of this in vivo study was to evaluate the antiplaque and antigingivitis effect of Copaifera sp (Cp). METHODS AND MATERIALS Twenty-three subjects participated in a randomized controlled clinical trial using a 21-day, partial-mouth experimental model of gingivitis. A custom tooth shield was fabricated for each subject to prevent the brushing of the four experimental posterior teeth in the lower-left quadrant. The subjects were randomly assigned to either the control group (using a placebo gel) or the test group (using the test gel containing 10% Cp). RESULTS The clinical results showed statistically significant differences for plaque (PLI), bleeding (BI), and gingival (GI) indexes at days 0 and 21 in both groups (p<0.05). However, on day 21 there was no statistically significant difference between groups for all indexes (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS The test gel containing 10% Cp did not prevent plaque formation and development of gingivitis. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE Several medicinal herbs are used empirically by persons in the treatment and prevention of oral conditions. Research in this area must be encouraged to determine which herbal agents would be a useful addition to the current range of chemotherapeutic periodontal treatment options.