The Effect of Green Tea on plaque and gingival inflammation: A systematic review

Gartenmann SJ, Steppacher SL, von Weydlich Y, Heumann C, Attin T, Schmidlin PR · Journal of Herbal Medicine · 2020 June

DOI 10.1016/j.hermed.2020.100337

Objective

The study aimed to systematically review the available literature on green tea catechin and its effectiveness in reducing plaque and gingival inflammation in patients with gingivitis, comparing it with chlorhexidine (CHX) and a placebo.

Conclusions

The meta-analysis, based on five studies predominantly conducted on an Asian population, suggested that green tea and chlorhexidine (CHX) resulted in lower plaque accumulation (Plaque Index - PI) compared to a placebo. However, there was no significant difference between CHX and green tea, both at the study endpoint and over time. Green tea mouthwash showed little evidence of side effects, making it a potential alternative to CHX, especially for long-term use. Nevertheless, due to heterogeneous data and the risk of bias, the evidence should be interpreted cautiously, and further clinically controlled studies with longer observation periods are recommended.

Critical Appraisal

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Insights

Green tea catechins-containing mouthwash may potentially be a practical alternative to chlorhexidine due to its efficacy in plaque reduction and minimal side effects.

The methodology involved an exhaustive literature review of several electronic databases, such as CINAHL, Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, PubMed and Scopus, up until January 2017. This review adhered to the PRISMA criteria, centring the research question around the impact of green tea catechins-containing mouthwash on plaque accumulation and gingival inflammation in patients with gingivitis. Out of the 187 titles identified this way, five were fit for meta-analysis, the subject matter primarily revolving around an Asian population. The results indicated that both green tea and chlorhexidine (CHX) significantly outperformed a placebo in reducing Plaque Index (PI), with no substantial contrast between the CHX and green tea groups, both in terms of the endpoint and the change from the beginning of the study to its conclusion. However, only minor side effects were associated with the green tea mouthwash. Contrarily to chlorhexidine, this aspect might make green tea mouthwash more suitable for prolonged use. Despite some heterogeneity in the data and potential bias risks, green tea mouthwash remains an interesting, viable alternative worth considering.