SynthesisEvidence-based dentistry2025
Comparative evaluation of the efficacy of herbal and benzydamine mouthwashes in preventing radiation-induced oral mucositis among head and neck cancer patients: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Evidence-based dentistry, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Crude Plant Extracts and Their Anti-Inflammatory Potential in Oral Inflammatory Cell Models: A Systematic Review of In Vitro Studies.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Pooled it
- Radiation-induced oral side effects in head and neck cancer: a scoping review and interdisciplinary recommendations.BMC oral health · 2026Article
- Radiomitigators: Breakthroughs in Post-Radiation Recovery.Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Benzydamine hydrochloride: an overview on a well-established drug with news in mechanisms of action.F1000Research · 2024Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundBenzydamine mouthwash is beneficial in avoiding radiation-induced oral mucositis (RIOM) in patients with head and neck cancer, but it is also expensive and has negative side effects, while herbal mouthwashes offer a potential, easily accessible alternative with less side effects and bioactive characteristics. Hence, the aim of the systematic review and network meta-analysis was to assess and compare the efficacy of herbal mouthwash and benzydamine mouthwash in preventing RIOM among head and neck cancer patients.
methodsAfter searching Scopus, PubMed, Cochrane, Science Direct, EBSCO Host, Lilacs, Science Direct, Web of Science, and Google Scholar from the earliest available year till July 15, 2024, 79 articles were obtained. Four full-text publications met the eligibility requirements and underwent additional processing for data extraction. PICO Strategy: P: Head and neck cancer patients, I: Herbal mouthwash, C: Benzydamine mouthwash, O: Reduction in radiation-induced oral mucositis. The review only comprised randomised controlled trials. The risk of bias assessment and quality of evidence were assessed using the RoB-2 Tool and GRADE Tool respectively.
resultsCurcumin mouthwash was most effective in reducing the incidence of oral mucositis followed by sumac-rose and turmeric mouthwash. Curcumin, turmeric, and sumac-rose mouthwashes were found to be effective in delaying the onset of oral mucositis as compared to the benzydamine group. Turmeric mouthwash followed by curcumin and sumac-rose mouthwash were found to be more effective in reducing the severity of oral mucositis.
conclusionThe current review concludes that curcumin, turmeric, and sumac-rose mouthwashes are more effective than benzydamine mouthwash in preventing RIOM. These natural alternatives show promising results for improving patient outcomes and should be investigated further to be used clinically. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42024570913.
Indexed as
Identifiers
39948159What Socratic holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.