Clinical benefits of chlorhexidine in sustaining gingival health following prophylaxis
Sturzenberger, O.P.; Bosma, M.L.; Moore, D.J.; Grossman, E.
Journal of Clinical Dentistry 1(1): 24-27
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0895-8831 PMID: 3254704 Document Number: 309305
Healthy gingivae are vital to maintaining healthy periodontal support and tooth function. It is well recognized that a professional dental prophylaxis provides a reduction of gingivitis and bleeding. As dental plaque recurs, however, the cycle of disease starts anew. One study of individuals with gingivitis showed that a prophylaxis significantly reduced gingivitis severity by 45 percent. This clinical benefit diminished to baseline over 10-day period following the prophylaxis. From this study it appears that prophylaxis offers short-lived benefits unless an adjunctive treatment can extend the effects. In a large study by Grossman, et al. a 0.12% chlorhexidine mouthrinse (Peridex) was identified as suitable treatment after prophylaxis to help maintain gingival health for at least six months. Grossman found that subjects who started the study with a larger number of gingival bleeding sites experienced the most obvious clinical improvement. An important finding was that the change from bleeding to not-bleeding occurred most often in interproximal areas where meticulous plaque removal is most difficult. This paper does further analysis of the above studies to demonstrate that the adjunctive use of the 0.12% chlorhexidine rinse, in a professional program, can significantly improve gingival health.