Propolis-Based Solution Application in Extraction Socket Healing

Propolis-Based Solution Application in Extraction Socket Healing: A 3D Split-Mouth Clinical Pilot Study

This pilot study evaluated whether a propolis-based topical solution improves soft-tissue healing after tooth extraction. Thirteen patients requiring extraction of two comparable teeth on opposite sides of the mouth were enrolled in a split-mouth design, in which one extraction site received the propolis solution while the other served as an internal control. The test site was treated with the propolis solution three times daily for seven days, while the control site received only saline rinses. Healing was tracked using 3D intraoral scans obtained before extraction and on days 7 and 14 afterward, allowing the percentage of socket closure to be measured objectively over time. Postoperative pain was also assessed using a standard visual pain scale on days 1, 3, and 7. The study aimed to determine whether this propolis-based formulation could serve as a natural, low-cost adjunct to standard post-extraction care to support faster tissue repair.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Healthy
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Propolis-based topical solution (52% propolis extract, clove oil [Eugenia caryophyllus], and white willow bark [Salix alba] extract); Other: Saline rinse (control)

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 14
• Phase: Phase 2; Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Lebanon
  • Beirut, Lebanon
    • Saint Joseph University of Beirut

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child; Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Cooperative adult patients willing to accept the study protocol
• Minors with a cooperative parent/legal guardian providing consent
• Non-surgical extraction of bilaterally positioned teeth
• Low-to-moderate extraction difficulty per the Pederson scale
• Systemically healthy, with no history of systemic disease

Exclusion Criteria:

• Non-consenting patients
• Failure to attend follow-up appointments per protocol
• Heavy smokers (>10 pack-years)
• Systemic disease (e.g., diabetes mellitus, immunosuppressive syndromes)
• Current use of contraceptive medication
• Systemic antibiotic therapy within the previous 3 months
• Anticoagulant therapy within the previous 4 weeks
• Requirement for antibiotic prophylaxis
• Pregnant or breastfeeding women
• Known allergy to honey or bee-related products
• Known allergy to local anesthetics used in dental procedures
• Higher-difficulty extractions requiring sutures or other hemostatic measures

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Extraction site treated with a propolis-based solution	Drug: Propolis-based topical solution (52% propolis extract, clove oil [Eugenia caryophyllus], and white willow bark [Salix alba] extract); Drug: Propolis-Based Solution "A topical solution (52% propolis extract, clove oil, and white willow bark extract) applied to the test extraction socket via brush applicator three times daily for seven days."
Active Comparator: Contralateral extraction site treated with saline mouthwash only	Other: Saline rinse (control); The contralateral extraction socket received saline mouthwash only, with no active therapeutic agent applied, following the same pre-application oral hygiene steps (tooth brushing and saline rinse) as the test site

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Percentage of Extraction Socket Surface Area Closure	Percentage reduction in socket surface area from baseline, calculated from 3D intraoral scans using the formula: % Closure = (Baseline area - Timepoint area) / Baseline area × 100.	Baseline (Day 0), Day 7, and Day 14 post-extraction

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Postoperative Pain Score	Pain intensity rated on a 10-cm Visual Analog Scale (VAS), with higher scores indicating greater pain.	Day 1, Day 3, and Day 7 post-extraction

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Saint-Joseph University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): October 1, 2025
• Primary Completion (Actual): April 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Actual): April 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 18, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 18, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): June 24, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 29, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 24, 2026
• Last Verified: June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Polymers; Macromolecular Substances; Plant Preparations; Biological Products; Complex Mixtures; Biopolymers; Plant Oils; Plant Exudates; Resins, Plant; Propolis; Clove Oil
• Other Study ID Numbers: Tfemd-2026-54

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED
• IPD Plan Description: Individual participant data sharing beyond what is reported in this article is not currently planned. The informed consent obtained from participants covered publication of anonymized results and clinical images within the manuscript but did not include explicit provisions for sharing de-identified, individual-level data with third-party researchers. Additionally, given the small sample size (12-13 participants) drawn from a single institution, there is an elevated risk that combinations of variables in a shared dataset could allow indirect re-identification of participants.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No