title: Effects of a chlorhexidine varnish on the gingival status of adolescents.
abstract: The purpose of this blind study was to determine the effect of a two-stage chlorhexidine varnish, after three months, on the gingival status of 11- to 15-year-old children attending a school in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Subjects participating in the study were randomly allocated to control (C) and treatment (T) groups, n = 53 and n = 57, respectively. All subjects were matched at baseline on age, salivary levels of mutans streptococci, and caries scores. After elimination of carious lesions, a prophylaxis was given to both groups. The chlorhexidine varnish was then painted on the entire dentition of Group T subjects only. Prior to caries elimination, and again after three months, the gingival index was used to assess the gingival status of study subjects. An average of 106.6 +/- 8.9 and 107.7 +/- 6.2 gingival sites per subject (four sites per tooth) in Groups C and T, respectively, were examined by the same calibrated examiner on two occasions. For statistical purposes, data were dichotomized [(0,1) (2,3)] for the gingival index. Independent t-tests and paired t-tests were used to analyze the data. The percentage of sites per subject with scores of two or three at the baseline were balanced between study groups (3.7 +/- 7.1 for T; 1.8 +/- 3.2 for C; p = 0.08). After three months, a statistically significant decrease in the average percentage of sites with scores of two or three was demonstrated in the T group (0.7 +/- 2.4, T, p < 0.0001; 1.3 +/- 3.0, C, p < 0.25). The authors concluded that the application of a chlorhexidine varnish significantly improved the gingival health of T subjects for up to three months. A significant improvement in the gingival health could not be demonstrated in the C group.
authors.affiliation: Universida de São Francisco, School of Dentistry, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Valente
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Seabra
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chiesa
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Djahjah
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Villar do Valle
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Bretz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001938:Brazil; D002648:Child; D002710:Chlorhexidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004245:DMF Index; D003777:Dental Prophylaxis; D005260:Female; D005884:Gingival Hemorrhage / Q000517:prevention & control; D005891:Gingivitis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D010150:Paint; D010512:Periodontal Index; D012463:Saliva / Q000382:microbiology; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013295:Streptococcus mutans / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014456:Ulcer / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; D002710:Chlorhexidine