January 2015 Supplement

Introduction Maintenance of effective plaque control is the cornerstone of any attempt to prevent and control periodontal disease. Complete natural cleaning of the dentition is virtually non-existent. To be controlled, plaque must be removed frequently by active self-care methods. Hence, the dental community continues to encourage proper oral hygiene and more effective use of mechanical cleaning. This group addressed the aspect of oral hygiene practices carried out at home by patients as well as the general population and a primary objective was to find out the scientific rationale and efficacy of the vast variety of alternatives available for “home remedies” for plaque control. Even though in the past few years more and more systematic reviews on this subject have been published, there is a definite lack of such studies and subsequent publications coming from the developing countries.