title: Effect of chlorhexidine in preventing plaque biofilm on healing abutment: a crossover controlled study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The study aimed at evaluating the effect of chlorhexidine (CHX) in preventing plaque biofilm (PB) formation on healing abutments (HAs) in patients rehabilitated with osseointegrated implants.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty HAs were placed in 34 voluntary patients 1 week after implant surgery (test group). After 7 days, a new set of 50 HAs was placed in the same implant sites and removed 1 week after (control group). During the 2 testing periods, patients were instructed to apply: CHX mouth rinsing twice daily and no brushing (test); no CHX mouth rinsing and no brushing (control). Scanning electron microscopy and image analysis were blindly used to objectively quantify PB amount on removed HAs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median values and interquartile ranges of the percent ratio of titanium surface covered from PB were 0.9 (0.1-4.1) and 1.2 (0.1-11.6) for test and control groups, respectively (P = 0.0275).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CHX mouth rinsing significantly limited plaque formation on HAs, being a valid contribution to mechanical brushing in early phases of plaque control on dental implants.
authors.affiliation: *Chairman, Department of Neurosciences, Institute of Clinical Dentistry, University of Padova, Padova, Italy. †Resident, Healthcare Research and Innovation Program (IRCS), Bruno Kessler Foundation, Trento, Italy; Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Trento, Trento, Italy. ‡Resident, Department of Neurosciences, Institute of Clinical Dentistry, University of Padova, Padova, Italy. §Resident, Department of Medicine Laboratory, APSS, Trento, Italy.
authors.forename: Eriberto
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bressan
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tessarolo
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sbricoli
authors.forename: Iole
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Caola
authors.forename: Giandomenico
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nollo
authors.forename: Adolfo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Fiore
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects*; D002710:Chlorhexidine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D059605:Dental Implant-Abutment Design; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009067:Mouthwashes / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D004202:Disinfectants; D009067:Mouthwashes; D002710:Chlorhexidine