DOI: https://doi.org/10.14710/actodont.34043

Effect of a 10% Forest Honey Mouth Rinse on Plaque Index Scores in Children Aged 9–12 Years

Dentistry Study Program, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sriwijaya, Indonesia

Received: 4 Aug 2026; Revised: 25 Aug 2026; Accepted: 24 Sep 2026; Published: 1 Jun 2027.
Open Access Copyright 2026 Siti Rusdiana Puspa Dewi, Fairuz Mudiah, Budi Asri, Ulfa Yasmin
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

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Abstract
Mechanical plaque control through toothbrushing is the primary method of maintaining oral hygiene, while mouthwash is commonly used as an adjunct. Because conventional mouthwashes may cause oral side effects, natural alternatives such as forest honey have gained attention due to their antibacterial properties. This study evaluated the effect of a 10% forest honey mouthwash on dental plaque scores in children aged 9–12 years. A quasi-experimental study with a pretest–posttest control group design was conducted. Participants were assigned to a control group (distilled water) or an intervention group (10% forest honey mouthwash). They rinsed with 10 mL of the assigned solution for 30 seconds, three times daily, for four consecutive days. Plaque scores were recorded before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed using paired and independent t-tests. The intervention group showed a significant reduction in plaque score from 2.22 ± 0.59 to 1.51 ± 0.57 (p < 0.05), whereas no significant change was observed in the control group (p > 0.05). It can be concluded that a 10% forest honey mouthwash effectively reduced dental plaque scores in children aged 9–12 years.
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Keywords: Child; Dental Plaque; Honey; Oral hygiene; Mouthwash.

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Section: Original Research
Language : EN
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