BACKGROUND Prevention of dental caries is one of the main strategies in contemporary pediatric dental practice. Mouth rinses are widely used as an adjunct to maintain oral hygiene. It is important for these products to be effective and safe for regular use in children. OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to investigate the efficacy of a newly introduced xylitol, sodium fluoride and triclosan containing mouth rinse in reducing levels of plaque Streptococcus mutans and to compare it with that of a 0.12% chlorhexidine mouth rinse. METHODS Thirty children were randomly divided into two groups of 15 children each. Group I (study group) was given a mouth rinse containing xylitol (5%), sodium fluoride (0.05%) and triclosan (0.03%) and Group II (control group) was given a chlorhexidine (0.12%) mouth rinse. Both mouth rinses were alcohol free. Mouth rinsing was carried out twice daily, half an hour after breakfast and half an hour following dinner, for a period of 21 days under the supervision of the investigator. RESULTS In both groups, there was a significant reduction in the mean S. mutans count at the end of 21 days (P < 0.001). No significant difference was observed between the two mouth rinses. CONCLUSIONS The use of a low fluoride-xylitol based mouth rinse appears to be a suitable choice for regular use in children.