<![CDATA[Fixed orthodontics may compromise the patient’s oral health and reduce salivary pH, thereby increasing the risk of dental caries. One way of increasing pH of saliva is by using natural ingredients such as basil leaf as a mouthwash. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of duration in rinsing 4% basil leaf extract (Ocimum africanum Lour.) on saliva pH of fixed orthodontic users. This study used a quasi-experimental pre test-post test control group design with 30 respondents from Diponegoro University’s Faculty of Medicine. Saliva samples were obtained for pH measurements before and after rinsing. The samples were divided into 6 groups, namely the treatment group rinsing with 4% basil leaf extract solution and the control group rinsing with distilled water for a duration of 1 minute, 2 minutes, and 3 minutes. The results were analysed using One-Way ANOVA and Tukey HSD post hoc tests. One-Way ANOVA results showed a significant difference with a value of p=0.000 (p<0.05) in salivary pH between the treatment group and control group. LSD post hoc tests showed that the treatment group rinsing 4% basil leaf extract with a duration of 1 minutes did not significantly increase pH, but rinsing durations of 2 minutes and 3 minutes had effectively increased pH. The conclusion of this study is that rinsing with 4% basil leaf extract for 2 minutes or longer effectively increases salivary pH in users of fixed orthodontics to reach neutral to alkaline levels.]]>
