A study by Escribano, et al published in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology evaluated the clinical and microbiological efficacy of a 0.05% chlorhexidine and 0.05% cetylpyridinium chloride mouth rinse for use in supportive periodontal care (SPC) in patients who did not practice adequate plaque control.
The study was a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial involving patients with moderate to severe chronic periodontitis under SPC with inadequate plaque control (Turesky index > 1). Following supragingival prophylaxis and oral hygiene reinforcement, the subjects rinsed twice a day for 3 months with the test or placebo solutions, in addition to conventional hygiene. Primary clinical outcome variables included plaque and gingival indices; periodontal and microbiological variables were studied as secondary outcomes. Of the 47 patients that participated, 22 were in the placebo group and 25 were in the test group. After 3 months, plaque levels increased in the placebo group, and diminished in the test group (P < .001). Similar effects were found for bleeding on probing. The other clinical parameters did not show significant differences. However, there were significant intergroup reductions in subgingival counts of Fusobacterium nucleatum and Prevotella intermedia, and a decrease of the total bacterial counts in saliva. The study concluded that the chlorhexidine mouth rinse demonstrated efficacy in reducing plaque and gingivitis, as well as in decreasing the microbial load in saliva and the gingival sulcus.
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