The Effectiveness of Belimbing Wuluh (Averrhoa Blimbi L) Acid Extract as Mouthwash as an Alternative to Relieve Gingivitis

One of the most common dental health problems is gingivitis, which is part of periodontal disease. Gingivitis is a periodontal disease caused by the accumulation of plaque bacteria in the form of Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sanguis, Actinomyces species, and Spirochaeta found on the tooth surface. Streptococcus mutans bacteria are Gram positive (+) bacteria that are facultative anaerobes and are relatively often found in the oral cavity, namely the tooth surface. Mouthwash can be interpreted as a solution with a comfortable taste, antimicrobial properties and can also freshen the mouth. Starfruit contains many active compounds and acts as an anti-microbial such as flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, and saponins. Purpose: Proving the effectiveness of sunti starfruit extract (Averrhoa Blimbi L) as a mouthwash against gingivitis. Methods: The type of research used is a quasiexperimental research. The design used is a nonrandomized one group pretest-posttest. The population of the study was students of SMA Negeri 4 Semarang, with a total sample of 33 people. The sampling technique uses purposive sampling. Result: Giving mouthwash of sunti belimbing wuluh acid extract before and after on the status of the gingival index with p value 0.00<0.05, meaning that there is a difference between before using mouthwash and after using mouthwash. Conclusion: The formulation of sunti belimbing wuluh acid extract mouthwash at concentrations of 25%, 12.5% and 6.25% was effective in reducing the status of the gingival index, but there was no significant difference between the three formulations in reducing the status of the gingival index.