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Adjunctive effect of chlorhexidine antiseptics in mechanical periodontal treatment: first results of a preliminary case series
Author(s) -
Calderini A,
Pantaleo G,
Rossi A,
Gazzolo D,
Polizzi E
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
international journal of dental hygiene
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.674
H-Index - 38
eISSN - 1601-5037
pISSN - 1601-5029
DOI - 10.1111/idh.12009
Subject(s) - medicine , chlorhexidine , scaling and root planing , dentistry , chronic periodontitis , bleeding on probing , chlorhexidine gluconate , periodontal disease , periodontitis
Objectives The aim of the present case series was to evaluate the clinical and microbiological effects of a single session of mechanical and manual scaling and root planing ( SRP ) combined with the use of two different chlorhexidine formulations in the treatment for generalized chronic periodontitis. Methods Ten patients affected by chronic periodontal disease with periodontal probing depth ( PPD ) ≥ 5 mm were treated with SRP plus local chlorhexidine. In each patient, similar teeth, treated with SRP with the adjunctive use of chlorhexidine digluconate and dihydrochloride or chlorhexidine gluconate, respectively, were selected and assigned to a test and a control group. In both groups, PPD , bleeding on probing ( BOP ) parameters, total bacterial counts ( TBC ) and quality of periodontal bacteria at time 0 and 6 weeks after treatment were measured. Results PPD significantly decreased over time both in the test and in the control group; however, no significant differences between the two groups were observed. BOP and TBC were significantly lower in the test than in the control group 6 weeks after treatment. In the post‐treatment revaluation, a significant decrease both in the treatment and in the control group, for each of the single periodontal pathogens, was observed. Conclusion In this study – a preliminary case series with small sample size and short follow‐up – the adjunctive use of chlorhexidine (CHX) to SRP resulted in clinical and microbiological benefits in the treatment for generalized chronic periodontitis. A CHX gel formulation consisting of CHX digluconate and CHX dihydrochloride seems to lead some additional benefits over SRP plus CHX gluconate in the short term. Additional investigations are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of this antiseptic therapy.