Comparison of effectiveness of curcumin with triamcinolone acetonide in the gel form in treatment of minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis: A randomized clinical trial

Introduction: Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is an unfortunately most common disease occurring in oral cavity. Although the lesion is usually self-limited, its painful presentation, high frequency of occurrence, and multifactorial etiology leads to signifi cant morbidity. So, an effi cient therapeutic strategy is needed to provide relief to the patients. Aim: To assess and compare the effi cacy of Curcumin with Triamcinolone acetonide in the gel form in treatment of minor RAS. Materials and Methods: As a randomized clinical trial, 60 patients of either sex with clinically diagnosed RAS were randomly divided into 2 groups-Curcumin gel group (Group I) and Triamcinolone Acetonide gel group (Group II). Patients in either group were asked to apply the gel three times a day on each ulcer. Assessment of effi cacy of gel was done on the basis of time required for regression in pain, size, and number of the ulcers. Results: The results showed signifi cant difference in size, pain, number, and duration of ulcers in Group I and Group II within a period of 7 days. However, no signifi cant difference was noted in both the groups in the treatment of RAS. To evaluate the effi cacy, Mann-Whitney U test was used and statistical analysis was done using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 19 software. Conclusion: Curcumin has strong antioxidant, with anti-infl ammatory, immunomodulatory and analgesic properties, which according to the results obtained from the present study, can be used as an effective alternative to steroids in treatment of RAS.