Comparison of the effect of mouthwashes with and without zinc and fluocinolone on the healing process of erosive oral lichen planus

Background and aims. Lichen planus is a relatively common mucocutaneous disease, with an unknown etiology. There is no complete cure for oral lichen planus (OLP), but some drugs, including corticosteroids, retinoids, cyclosporine and antibiotics are commonly used for treatment of OLP. The aim of the present study was to compare the effect of combination of triamcinolone and vitamin A mouthwash with triamcinolone mouthwash alone on OLP.Materials and methods. Twenty OLP patients were randomly divided into two groups of 10. The experimental group was treated with combination of triamcinolone and vitamin A mouthwash and the control group was treated with triamcinolone-containing mouthwash alone. The patients were examined once every two weeks and the lesion size, pain and burning sensation were recorded based on visual analogue scale during a two-month period. Data were analyzed by Mann-Whitney U test using SPSS software. Results. The use of combination of triamcinolone-vitamin A mouthwash was effective in decreasing the pain and burning sensation of OLP (P = 0.012). Decrease in pain and burning sensation were similar in both groups (P = 0.73). The use of combination of triamcinolone-vitamin A mouthwash led to a decrease in the size of keratotic, atrophic and erosive OLP lesions (P = 0). Decrease in the size of the lesions was significantly greater in the study group compared to the control group (P = 0.029).Conclusion. The use of combination of triamcinolone-vitamin A mouthwash is effective in decreasing the size of keratotic, atrophic or erosive lesions.