Background: Plaque induced gingivitis is the second most common oral disease after dental caries. In an effort to enhance the efficacy of mechanical tooth-cleaning procedures, antimicrobial agents have been added to dentifrices. Various chemical agents have been used in toothpastes and mouth rinses and a few have been shown to reduce dental plaque formation. 5 Due to an increased awareness of indigenous medical practices in various parts of the world, the use of “herbal” medicine has engendered interest and facilitated the growth of complementary and alternative therapies in health care promotion. Aim of the study: To analyse effects of herbal and non-herbal toothpastes on plaque and gingivitis. Materials and methods: The study was conducted in the Department of Periodontics of the dental institution. For the study, a total of 50 patients were selected in the age range of 25-50 years. The participants were randomly grouped into two groups, Group 1 and Group 2. Each patient in both the groups were given a unlabeled toothpaste tube. Only an independent investigator was aware about the participants of the group and contents of the pastes. Group 1 used commercial herbal dentifrice Dabur Red containing the following: Pudina satva, Tomar beej and laung ka tel. The Group 2 used Pepsodent containing- calcium carbonate, water, sorbitol, sodium lauryl sulfate, hydrated silica, flavor, magnesium aluminum silicate, sodium monofluorophosphate, potassium nitrate, benzyl alcohol, sodium silicate, cellulose gum, triclosan, and sodium saccharin. Results: We observed that both the groups had significant improvement in mean plaque index over 30 days. The result in improvement of plaque index in both the groups is comparative and is statistically significant. We observed that significant improvement in mean GI of the patients was observed in both the groups. The results were statistically significant. Conclusion: Within the limitations of the present study, it can be concluded that herbal and non-herbal toothpastes are effective in minimizing gingivitis and plaque removal. Any toothpaste can be used with a toothbrush using proper toothbrush movements to achieve good oral hygiene. Keywords: Herbal dentifrices, herbal toothpaste, plaque, index