COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF OXYGEN-RELEASING VERSUS ALCOHOL-BASED MOUTHWASHES IN POST-SURGICAL ORAL WOUND HEALING: CLINICAL OBSERVATIONAL STUDY
*Dr. Lanka Mahesh, BDS, MBA, DHA, PhD, Dr. Jose Luis Calvo Guirado, DDS, PhD, EuPhD, MS, Dr. Sushmita Sahu, BDS
Post-surgical oral wound healing requires controlled microbial regulation without disruption of tissue homeostasis. Chemical plaque control is routinely recommended during the early healing phase when mechanical cleaning is restricted. This prospective clinical observational study compared an oxygen-releasing mouthwash (Blue M) with an alcohol-containing essential oil mouthwash (Listerine) in 40 patients undergoing oral surgical procedures. Patients were evaluated on postoperative Days 3, 7, and 14 using a Modified Clinical Healing Index and patient-reported comfort parameters. The oxygen-releasing formulation demonstrated improved early healing scores and reduced inflammatory signs during the first postoperative week. Patients reported significantly lower burning sensation and higher comfort levels compared to the alcohol-based rinse. By Day 14, both groups showed satisfactory epithelialization; however, compliance was higher in the oxygen group. The findings suggest that oxygen-mediated ecological modulation of anaerobic biofilm activity, rather than broad-spectrum antiseptic shock, may support early wound stabilization and patient tolerance. Within the limitations of this study, oxygen-releasing mouthwash appears more suitable during immediate post-surgical healing, whereas essential oil-based rinses remain effective for long-term plaque maintenance.
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