title: Rinsing with alcohol-free or alcohol-based chlorhexidine solutions after periodontal surgery. A double-blind, randomized, cross-over, pilot study.
abstract: The aim of this randomized, double-blind, cross-over pilot study was to evaluate the effect on plaque formation and patient experience of rinsing after periodontal surgery using chlorhexidine solution with or without alcohol. Twenty patients refrained from tooth brushing after surgery and used two mouth rinses.Ten patients used alcohol-based (AB) 0.1% and another ten used alcohol-free (AF) 0.12% chlorhexidine (CHX). Sutures were removed after 2 weeks and teeth were cleaned; thereafter, the two groups shifted solution. Plaque at operated teeth was recorded at 2 and 4 weeks (Quigley-Hein Index). Patient experience was assessed with a visual analogue scale (0-10). Mean (SD) plaque indices at 2 and 4 weeks were 1.0 (0.8) and 1.1 (1.0) for AB CHX and 1.1 (0.7) and 0.8 (0.7) for AF CHX, respectively (no significant differences between solutions). At 2 weeks, between-group differences in taste experience of the solutions differed non-significantly: 6.1 (2.8) for AB and 6.0 (2.3) for AF. At 4 weeks, values were 4.6 (2.5) for AB and 6.9 (3.3) for AF-patients tended to prefer AF (p = 0.050). Taste change over the study period was equal for both groups: -37 (3.3) for AB and 3.4 (2.3) for AF at 2 weeks and slightly higher at 4 weeks 4.9 (2.8) and 4.5 (2.5) for AB and AF, respectively. Smarting was low in both groups: 2.2 (3.2) and 1.3 (2.2) for AB and 1.0 (1.5) and 1.9 (2.0) for AF at 2 and 4 weeks, respectively. To conclude, alcohol-free and alcohol-based chlorhexidine showed the same plaque inhibitory effect in periodontal patients after periodontal surgery. Both rinses were well tolerated by the patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology, The Institute for Postgraduate Dental Education, Jönköping, Sweden. Helena.Olsson@lj.se
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Olsson
authors.forename: Barbro
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Asklöw
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Johansson
authors.forename: Christer
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Slotte
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002710:Chlorhexidine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D003646:Debridement / Q000379:methods; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000517:prevention & control; D003774:Dental Plaque Index; D012534:Dental Scaling / Q000379:methods; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D000431:Ethanol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007509:Irritants / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009067:Mouthwashes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D057240:Patient Preference; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D059745:Piezosurgery / Q000379:methods; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012997:Solvents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013357:Subgingival Curettage / Q000379:methods; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D013649:Taste / Q000187:drug effects; D014075:Tooth Discoloration / Q000139:chemically induced
chemical_list: D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; D007509:Irritants; D009067:Mouthwashes; D012997:Solvents; D000431:Ethanol; D002710:Chlorhexidine