Clinical examination
PLAQUE
To ensure the homogeneity of the participants’ oral conditions, they received an examination by a dentist and light scaling from two dental hygienists at M dental clinic, Busan, 1 week prior to the study. One week after participants received scaling, the O’Leary index, plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), and microbiological analysis results were evaluated as periodontal-related indicators via clinical examination. Furthermore, the experimental and control groups gargled for 1 min with 15 mL of mouthwash and saline, respectively, and clinical data were obtained immediately afterward. All participants were provided with the same toothbrush and toothpaste and with directions regarding the length and method of brushing required during the study. Participants were given mouthwash with a label that did not inform them which group they belonged to and were instructed to gargle with the mouthwash after brushing their teeth before bed. For a total of 5 d, the experimental group used 15 mL of a 10-mg/mL LC extract for 1 min, whose safety has been proven by Nam’s study [