title: Clinical evaluation of the use of locally delivered chlorhexidine in periodontal maintenance therapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of this study was to evaluate clinically the effectiveness of a chlorhexidine gluconate chip in sites still showing signs of disease during periodontal maintenance therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-two maintenance non-smoking patients (previously treated with non-surgical scaling and root planing [SRP]), presenting at least one probing depth (PD) of 5 to 8 mm, and bleeding on probing (BOP) at single-rooted teeth were assigned randomly to two groups: treated with a chlorhexidine gluconate chip (CHIP group) and treated with SRP (SRP group). Patients were assessed for plaque index, gingival index, BOP, PD, clinical attachment level (CAL), and gingival recession at baseline, 6 weeks, and 3 and 6 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both treatments resulted in improvements in all parameters evaluated. After 6 months, a reduction in PD of 2.64 +/- 0.02 mm and 2.12 +/- 0.02 mm was observed for CHIP and SRP groups, respectively (P >0.05). The observed gain in CAL was 2.19 +/- 0.87 mm and 2.07 +/- 1.53 mm for CHIP and SRP groups, respectively (P >0.05). In deep pockets, PD reduction was 3.60 +/- 0.70 mm for CHIP group and 2.83 +/- 0.62 mm for SRP group (P = 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both treatments were equally effective in periodontal health reestablishment in inflamed single-root sites of maintenance patients. However, for deep pockets, the chlorhexidine gluconate chip was more effective than SRP in reducing PD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontics, School of Dentistry of Piracicaba, University of Campinas, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ivana Ferreira Gomes
authors.initials: IF
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.forename: Luciana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Machion
authors.forename: Marcio Zafalon
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Casati
authors.forename: Francisco Humberto
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Nociti
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: de Toledo
authors.forename: Antonio Wilson
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Sallum
authors.forename: Enilson Antonio
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Sallum
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002710:Chlorhexidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012534:Dental Scaling; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010514:Periodontal Pocket / Q000188:drug therapy; D016745:Root Planing
chemical_list: D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; C010882:chlorhexidine gluconate; D002710:Chlorhexidine