Recent studies have shown that while mouthwashes exhibit antimicrobial properties against bacteria and their products, at the same time showing the cytotoxic effect on living cells in the mouth.29 To the best of our knowledge, there is no information about the toxicity effect of these two mouthwashes, which are highly preferred, on antimicrobial peptides secreted from the oral epithelium. Therefore, our aim in this study is to evaluate the effect of chlorhexidine and essential oil mouthwash on hBD2 and LL-37 in saliva.

Periodontal health continues with a balanced interaction of the oral microflora with the host defense line.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. systemically healthy,
2. presence of ≥20 natural teeth,
3. agreement to participate in the study .

Exclusion Criteria:

1. known systemic illness,
2. smoking habit,
3. pregnancy/ lactation,
4. long-term use of anti-inflammatory drugs.

The sample size was calculated using (power of 80%). The present study included 40 patients per group (total of 120) to have a power >80%.