comparative effects of kemphor and chlorhexidine mouthwashes on tooth staining and gingivitis: a randomized controlled crossover clinical trial

objectives: considering the side effects of chlorhexidine (chx), which is currently the gold-standard antimicrobial mouthwash, this study aimed to compare the effects of green kemphor and chx mouthwashes on tooth staining and gingivitis. materials and methods: this randomized controlled crossover clinical trial evaluated 38 patients requiring chx mouthwash following oral surgery and periodontal therapy. the patients were randomly assigned to chx and kemphor groups (n=19). in chx group, patients used chx mouthwash in the first 2 weeks, and after a 4-day washout period, they used kemphor mouthwash for 2 weeks. this order was reverse in the kemphor group. gingivitis was evaluated using the silness and loe gingival index (gi), and tooth staining was evaluated by the lobene index at 0 (baseline), 2 and 4 weeks. data were analyzed by paired t-test. results: chx mouthwash significantly decreased the gi and increased tooth staining (gingival stains, body stains, and stain extent) at 2 weeks (p 0.05). kemphor mouthwash significantly decreased the gi and increased tooth staining after 2 weeks (p 0.05). the gi in kemphor group was significantly lower than that in chx group at 4 weeks (p 0.05). also, the tooth staining parameters in the kemphor group were significantly lower than the corresponding values in the chx group at 2 and 4 weeks (p 0.05). conclusion: kemphor had higher efficacy for reduction of gi and caused less tooth staining than chx; thus, it may be recommended for use as an alternative to chx.