35 Berkumur dengan teh hitam lebih efektif daripada Chlorhexidine gluconate 0,2% untuk menurunkan akumulasi plak gigi (Gargle with black tea is more effective than chlorhexidine gluconate 0.2% to reduce dental plaque accumulation) Nyoman Ayu Anggayanti, 1 IPG Adiatmika 2 dan Nyoman Adiputra 2 1 Program Studi Pendidikan Dokter Gigi, Fakultas Kedokteran Universitas Udayana 2 Departemen Ilmu Faal, Fakultas Kedokteran Universitas Udayana Denpasar – Indonesia Korespondensi (correspondence): Nyoman Ayu Anggayanti, Program Studi Pendidikan Dokter Gigi, Fakultas Kedokteran Universitas Udayana, Denpasar - Bali. E-mail: anggayanti@gmail.com ABSTRACT Background: Dental plaque is a soft layer of bacteria, accumulate, and attached to the teeth. Plaque is formed when there is an interaction between the enzyme alpha amylase, bacteria, and glucose. The activity that often done to reduce dental plaque is to brush your teeth and gargle. One of them is gargling with black tea. Purpose: Here will be evaluated the effectiveness of black tea rinse compared to Chlorhexidine gluconate 0.2% in reduce the accumulation of dental plaque. With a total sample of 20 people, divided into two groups, and female with the age range 17 to 24 years old. Method: The study was conducted with the Pre and post test group design. Where one group gargled with a black tea without sugar and other groups gargled with Chlorhexidine gluconate 0.2%. Dental plaque identified by disclosing agent that applied to the tooth surface. In this study to measure the index dental plaque using test scores Patient Hygiene Perfomance Index modified (PHPM) by Martens and Meskin. Result: Chlorhexidine gluconate 0.2 % compared with gargle using black tea without sugar can reduce the accumulation of dental plaque greater the amount of 69.45% versus 45.02%. Polyphenols contained in black tea without sugar can suppress the growth of bacteria, inhibiting glucosyltransferase, preventing the formation of matrix material used for the plaque attached to the tooth surface, and inhibits the breakdown of carbohydrates, so there is no formation of easily fermented carbohydrates (maltose) by bacteria. Using black tea without sugar as a substitute Chlorhexidine gluconate 0.2%, in addition to the more natural as well as without side effects. Conclusion: Gargle with black tea without sugar immediately after eating is more effective to reduce the accumulation of dental plaque than Chlorhexidine gluconate rinse 0.2%. Key words: Gargling, dental plaque, black tea without sugar, Chlorhexidine gluconate 0.2 %. Vol. 62, No. 2, Mei-Agustus l 2013, Hal. 35-40 | ISSN 0024-9548 PENDAHULUAN Gigi yang sehat tidak hanya melindungi diri dari sakit gigi dan mulut melainkan melindungi diri dari gangguan kesehatan lainnya. Sedapat mungkin menghindari penyebab gigi berlubang agar tidak terkena sakit gigi sehingga kesehatan tubuh lainnya tidak terganggu aktivitasnya. Sisa makanan yang melekat terlalu lama di permukaan gigi merupakan awal dari penyebab gigi berlubang yang mengarah kepada sakit gigi. Gigi yang sakit dapat menyebabkan seseorang tidak dapat bekerja atau berpikir dengan baik. Banyak dijumpai bahwa seseorang yang datang ke dokter gigi bila giginya telah terlambat untuk dirawat. 1 Pencegahan penyakit pada gigi bisa dihubungkan dengan tindakan mengurangi jumlah mikroba dalam rongga mulut. 2 Karies gigi masih menduduki urutan tertinggi dalam masalah penyakit gigi dan mulut, yaitu penyakit tertinggi keenam yang dikeluhkan masyarakat Indonesia dan menempati urutan 35