Efficacy of thyme honey in the management of oral aphthous ulcers: A randomized controlled clinical trial

Abstract

The current study aimed to assess the effect of thyme honey on pain relief in patients with minor aphthous ulcers as a primary objective, its healing effect on ulcer size reduction, and the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14). In this randomized clinical trial, 30 patients (15 in each group) having minor aphthous ulcers at the oral diagnostic clinic at the British University in Egypt were treated with either thyme honey or triamcinolone acetonide in orabase. Different clinical parameters were recorded for both groups at various intervals, such as pain intensity using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), size of ulcers in mm, and OHIP-14. Thyme honey intervention showed more significant ulcer size reduction than the triamcinolone acetonide group on days 5, and 7, and a more substantial decrease in pain intensity on days 3, 5, and 7. Additionally, the thyme honey group showed significantly lower OHIP values than the triamcinolone acetonide group after 7 days. The current clinical trial furnished evidence of the effectiveness of thyme honey in managing minor aphthous ulcers for the first time and revealed clinical efficiency with satisfactory patient outcomes.