Thirty nine patients were assigned, through a randomized design, to receive tacrolimus ointment 0.1% or a mouthwash composed of calcium hydroxide 10%, hyaluronic acid 0,3%, umbelliferone and oligomeric proanthocyanidins, or an anti-inflammatory mouthwash (mouthwash which contains calcium hydroxide, hyaluronic acid, Umbelliferone and Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins) for 3-months. At baseline (T0) and after 3 months (T1), patients were subjected to clinical and oral assessments and were evaluated for the symptoms (Numerical Pain Scale, NRS score) and signs (Thongprasom's score) of OLP. Data were calculated using T-test for the dependent variable, Wilcoxon test and Mann-Witney u test.
The primary objective of this study was to compare the therapeutic efficacy of Tacrolimus gel versus an anti-inflammatory mouthwash in an oral solution for the management of patients suffering from symptomatic OLP. The secondary objective was to analyze which one of the two treatments induced a greater risk of developing side effects.