# Comparative Effectiveness of a Commercial Mouthwash and an Herbal Infusion in Oral Health Care
## 4 Discussion  
The benefits of the used mouthwashes that contain substances extracted from plants are detailed in many articles. _Mentha piperita_ Huds. (Lamiaceae family) has an antiseptic and analgesic action in the oral cavity due to its components. Menthol is extracted from this plant, which, besides the antiseptic and antioxidant action, eliminates bad breath and is used to flavor chewing gums [24; 25; 26]. _Matricia chamomilla_ L. (Asteraceae family), also known as chamomile, has an anti-inflammatory and scar-promoting effect, inactivates bacteria (especially _Staphylococcus_ and _Streptococcus_), and due to its essential oil content, has a strong calming effect and disinfecting action in the oral cavity [27; 28; 29]. The studies on _Polygonum aviculare_ L. (Polygonaceae family) have shown the presence of large amounts of phenolic compounds [11; 30; 31; 32; 33]. The main flavonoid compounds identified were derivatives of kaempfer, quercetin, parricetin, particularly avicularin (quercetin-3-O-arabinoside approximately 0.2%),juglain (kaempfer-3-O-arabinoside), rutin, apigenin, hyperoside, quercetin-3-galactoside, as well as vitexin, isovitexin. These compounds are also responsible for the identified therapeutic effects [31; 32; 33; 34; 35]. Several studies have shown the anti-inflammatory [32; 37; 38] and antimicrobial effect [6; 37]. The efficacy of _Polygonum aviculare_ L. extracts in the treatment of gingivitis has been demonstrated [39]. In the case of _Glechoma hederacea_ L. (Lamiaceae family), the studies have shown the presence of large amounts of phenolic compounds [7; 11]. Among the phenolic compounds, caffeic, chlorogenic, and rosmarinic acids are the substances with a strong antioxidant effect in the plant [40]. Antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory effects were demonstrated in numerous in vitro studies [7; 11; 23]. Several studies have shown a strong antioxidant effect and free radical scavenging activity [7; 11; 41; 42]. In the case of _Glechoma hederacea_ L. (Lamiaceae family), the studies have shown the presence of large amounts of phenolic compounds [7; 11]. The biologic actions of _Glechoma hederacea_ L. are owed to the existence of metabolites such as caffeic, chlorogenic, and rosmarinic acids, with proven antioxidant effects [40]. The antioxidant effect, free radical scavenging activity, and antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects were demonstrated in numerous in vitro studies [7; 23; 41]. The in vitro research performed by [PERSON] et al. [42] revealed that the components of _Glechoma hederacea_ L. have an antimutagenic and antioxidant effect. [PERSON] et al. demonstrated the antibacterial and free radical scavenging activity of the aerial parts of _Glechoma hederacea_ L. [41]. The treatment of gingival and periodontal diseases is recommended to be started in the earliest stages in order to be effective. The more advanced the periodontal disease, the harder it will be to approach. Studies show that the use of mouthwashes based on natural extracts has been shown to be effective in preventing and reducing gingival inflammation. Essential oils mouthwashes have an impact on saliva and gingival plaque flora and reduced levels of supragingival and subgingival plaque by a mean of 53% [11]. [PERSON] et al. [43] demonstrated that the essential oils group revealed a significant reduction in the occurrence of _Porphyromonas gingialis_ in saliva, comparing baseline and 45 days control, and this difference still remains at 180 days. The clinical parameters are positively modified after the use of mouth rinse containing essential oils [43; 44]. Gingival inflammation is the reaction to the development of microbial biofilms and subsequently of bacterial plaque. It is considered to be a risk factor in odental and periodontal lesions. Therefore, the control of gingival inflammation by the maintenance of oral health is essential for the primary prevention of oral diseases [45; 46; 47]. [PERSON] et al.