Table 2.

Summary of the reductions in plaque indices.

Solutions	n	Weighted Mean Difference (95% Cl)	Index	Compared Control	Follow-up Periods	Reference
CHG	12	−1.45 (−1.00 to −1.90)	QHI	Baseline	4 to 6 weeks	[46]
	4	−0.78 (−1.07 to −0.49)	TQHI	Placebo	6 months	[47]
	3	−0.640 (−0.756 to −0.524)	TQHI	Placebo	6 months	[16]
	2	−0.208 (−0.351 to −0.065)	PI	Placebo	6 months	[16]
	17	−0.362 (−0.571 to −0.153) †	QHI or TQHI	Baseline	≥ 4 weeks	[48]
	5	−0.39 (−0.70 to −0.08)	PI	Baseline	6w or 6m	[49]
	10	−0.67 (−0.82 to −0.52)	QHI	Baseline	4w to 6m	[49]
EO	9	−0.86 (−1.05 to −0.68)	TQHI	Placebo	6 months	[47]
	9	−0.827 (−1.053 to −0.600)	TQHI	Placebo	6 months	[16]
	16	−0.265 (−0.405 to −0.124) †	QHI or TQHI	Baseline	≥ 4 weeks	[48]
	14	−0.86 (−1.05 to −0.66)	QHI	Placebo	6 months	[51]
	4	−0.39 (−0.3 to −0.47)	QHI	21.6 or 26.9% hydro-alcohol	6 months	[52]
CPC (>0.05%)	6	−0.41 (−0.65 to −0.17)	TQHI	Placebo	6 months	[47]
	3	−0.465 (−0.631 to −0.299)	TQHI	Placebo	6 months	[16]
	8	−0.112 (−0.273 to 0.029) *,†	TQHI	Baseline	≥ 4 weeks	[48]
	9	−0.70 (−0.83 to −0.57)	PI, TQHI, MPI	Placebo	≥ 6 weeks	[54]
CPC (<0.05%)	3	−0.26 (0.07 to −0.55) *	TQHI	Placebo	6 months	[47]
Del	2	−0.24 (−0.67 to 0.19) *	TQHI	Placebo	6 months	[47]
	3	−0.144 (−0.231 to −0.058)	TQHI	Placebo	6 months	[16]
	4	−0.173 (−0.853 to 0.507) *,†	TQHI	Baseline	4 weeks	[48]
AmF/SnF	2	−0.079 (−0.260 to 0.101) *	TQHI	Placebo	6 months	[31]
	2	−0.195 (−0.335 to −0.054)	PI	Placebo	6 months	[31]
Alexi	2	−0.18 (−0.60 to 0.24) *	TQHI	Placebo	6 months	[47]
Tric	3	−0.67 (−1.05 to −0.30)	TQHI	Placebo	6 months	[47]
Herb	6	−2.93 (−6.43 to 0.58) *	PI or TQHI	CHG	4 weeks	[57]
	6	2.61 (4.42 to 0.9)	PI or TQHI	CHG or Placebo	12 weeks	[57]
	11	0.22 (0.20 to 0.24)	PI or QHI or TQHI	CHG		[58]
	5	−0.61 (−0.80 to −0.42)	QHI	Placebo	2w to 3 M	[59]
	5	0.08 (−0.19 to 0.34) *	PI	CHG	10d to 3w	[59]
	5	0.00 (−0.04 to 0.04) *	TQHI	CHG	2 or 4w	[59]
Curcumin	6	0.27 (−0.53 to 1.07) *	PI or TQHI	CHG	21 or 28 days	[60]
Propolis	3	−1.24 (−2.51 to 0.04) *	PI	Placebo	3 or 5 days	[61]
Salvadora persica	12	−0.46 (−0.29 to −0.63)	PI or TQHI	Placebo	4d to 2m	[62]
Salvadora persica	18	0.19 (0.01 to 0.37) *	PI or TQHI	CHG	4d to 2m	[62]
Green Tea	5	−0.14(−1.80 to 1.43) *	PI	CHG	2 to 4w	[63]
ClO2	5	−0.720 (−0.487 to −0.952)	PI	Placebo	7 days to 5w	[33]

n: number of studies, CHG: chlorhexidine gluconate mouthwash, EO: essential-oil-containing mouthwash (Listerine antiseptic), CPC: cetylpyridinium chloride mouthwash, Del: delmopinol mouthwash, AmF: amine fluoride mouthwash, SnF: stannous fluoride mouthwash, Alexi: alexidine, Tric: triclosan, PI: plaque index (Loe and Silness), QHI: Quigley-Hein plaque index, TQHI: Turesky modification of the Quigley-Hein plaque index, MPI: modified proximal index. ^† Expressed as the summary relative difference meaning a percentage change from the baseline. * No significant difference (p > 0.05).