Effect of Bletilla striata-Litsea cubeba Toothpaste on Clinical Indicators and Inflammatory Factor Levels in Gingival Crevicular Fluid in Patients with Biofilm-Induced Gingivitis: A Randomised Controlled Trial

To preliminarily evaluate the clinical efficacy of Bletilla striata-Litsea cube-batoothpaste in patients with plaque-induced gingivitis and its impact on inflammatory factors in gingival crevicular fluid.

In a randomised clinical trial, 80 patients with plaque-induced gingivitis were randomly allocated to receive either Bletilla striata-Litsea cubeba toothpaste (experimental group) or negative control toothpaste (control group). Following a 2-week washout period, periodontal indices including the Turesky-modified Quigley-Hein Plaque Index (TmQHI) and Sulcus Bleeding Index (SBI), along with inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α) quantified from gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) samples of the right mandibular first molars, were assessed at baseline (0 week), 4, 8, and 12 weeks. Statistical analyses employed repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) for longitudinal comparisons and independent samples t-tests for inter-group comparisons at identical time points, with statistical significance defined as α = 0.05.