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- Title
Current Uses of Chlorhexidine for Management of Oral Disease: A Narrative Review.
- Authors
Marinello, Carlo
- Abstract
Chlorhexidine (CHX) is an antiseptic mouthwash commonly used by dental practitioners and the public due to its antimicrobial effects. The aim of this article was to provide a narrative review of current antimicrobial uses of CHX relevant to dentistry in the context of oral diseases, highlighting the need for further studies to support its safe and appropriate use. Randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews, and national (UK and US) guidelines were consulted where available, with search terms for each subject category entered into the MEDLINE, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane databases. Some evidence exists to support the adjunctive short-term use of CHX to manage dental plaque and reduce clinical symptoms of gingivitis and dry socket, as well as to reduce aerosolization of bacteria. However, the use of CHX must be weighed alongside its less desirable effects, including extrinsic staining of teeth, antimicrobial resistance to antiseptic agents, and the rare, but fatal, allergic reactions to CHX. Conversely, evidence for the effectiveness of CHX to manage or prevent periodontitis, dental caries, necrotizing periodontal diseases, peri-implantitis, and infections associated with extraction and aerosolized viruses remains less certain. The use of CHX in dentistry and oral health care continues to be widespread, and thus it is important that dental practitioners understand that, based on its differential mechanisms of action on different microbes, appropriate clinical and dental use of CHX should be oral disease--specific. However, further clinical research is required before full recommendations can be made.
- Subjects
CHLORHEXIDINE; DISEASE management; ORAL diseases
- Publication
International Journal of Prosthodontics, 2021, Vol 34, Issue 1, p119
- ISSN
0893-2174
- Publication type
Article