Purpose: To evaluate and compare the effect of triphala extract mouthrinse and chlorhexidine on dental plaque and gingivitis. Materials and Methods: In this double blind, crossover study, 120 qualifying boarding-school students aged 13-16 years were randomised into three groups: 10% triphala, 0.2% chlorhexidine and negative control. The study was conducted in 3 phases of 1-month duration each and a washout period of 15 days. During the experimental period, subjects rinsed with the allocated mouthrinse once daily for 30 s under supervision. The plaque and gingival status was assessed using the Turesky modification of the Quigley and Hein plaque index (QHI) and the gingival index (Löe and Silness) at baseline and at the end of each phase. The results were tested for significance at P 0.05. Results: Triphala and chlorhexidine yielded a significant reduction in plaque and gingival index scores as compared to negative control (P 0.001). No significant difference was found between the scores obtained with triphala and chlorhexidine mouthwashes. Conclusion: The antiplaque and antigingivitis activity of triphala closely parallels that of chlorhexidine. Keywords: antigingivitis, antiplaque, chlorhexidine, triphala