A new systematic review reports inconclusive evidence on chlorhexidine varnish for preventing caries in children and adolescents.

The reviewers set out to establish its effectiveness compared with placebo or no treatment.  A secondary aim was to summarise the evidence of the effectiveness of chlorhexidine varnish compared to fluoride varnish.

The authors searched Medline, Embase and the Cochrane Library in March 2010 looking for randomised controlled trials comparing chlorhexidine with placebo or no treatment.

Only twelve trials were found that met the inclusion criteria.  They were highly heterogenous, using different baseline population, different preparations and co-interventions and different outcomes.

The findings were also heterogenous. Some studies found no benefit, whilst two found a benefit compared with no intervention.  Therefore, the reviewers concluded:

Further well-conducted randomised trials are required before chlorhexidine varnish can be recommended for caries prevention.

James P, Parnell C, Whelton H. The caries-preventive effect of chlorhexidine varnish in children and adolescents: a systematic review. Caries Res. 2010;44(4):333-40. Epub 2010 Jul 7.

See also:

• View the record in the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness (DARE)