Dry socket (alveolar osteitis) socket is a painful complication of tooth extraction that occurs in about 5% of extractions of permanent tooth. It is more common following the extraction of wisdom teeth. That aim of this review was to assess whether chlorhexidine, when compared to placebo and/or other interventions, reduced the incidence of alveolar osteitis [read the full story…]
In 2010 Berchier et al reviewed the efficacy of two different concentrations of chlorhexidine mouthrinse ( 0.2 & 0.12% ). A critical appraisal of this review is now available on the American Dental Associations Evidence-based Dentistry website. The commentator notes that a comprehensive search strategy was used although restricted to the English language. Eight studies [read the full story…]
The antiseptic agent Chlorhexidine (CHX) has been widely use to control plaque and gingivitis. The aim of this review was to evaluate, the efficacy of a CHX mouthrinse against plaque growth, gingival inflammation and stain formation in gingivitis patients. What did they do The Medline-PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases [read the full story…]
Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) can be life threatening and its link with good mouth care is a topic we have covered before on Dental Elf (18th April 2012 and 28th Nov 2011). The aim of this study was to evaluate whether oral swabbing with 0.2% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX) decreases the risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in [read the full story…]
While dental caries has a significant impact on adults much of the research on the prevention of this common disease is focussed on children. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that a chlorhexidine (CHX) coating, compared with a placebo coating, reduces dental caries increment in at-risk adults over a period of [read the full story…]
For critically ill patients receiving mechanical ventilation, ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a life threatening condition. Incidence rates varies and mortality rates can be as high as 50% . The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects brushing teeth twice daily with purified water on VAP rates and oral health or hygiene in postneurosurgical, [read the full story…]
Early childhood caries (ECC) is a common chronic childhood disease and a serious concern for child welfare. In the USA its incidence has increased from 24% to 28% in recent decades. The aim of this study was to compare an intensive early intervention caries prevention strategy against a more limited control intervention. At 4 months [read the full story…]
The use of topical fluoride together with fluoridated water and fissure sealants are mainstays of caries management. A range of non-fluoride agents caries preventive agents are also in use and these are reviewed to provide evidence-based clinical recommendations. The authors evaluated studies of sucrose-free polyol chewing gums, xylitol dentifrices, chlorhexidine, chlorhexidine in combination with thymol, [read the full story…]
While root caries can be seen in young people its frequency increases with age. The growing older populations in many developing countries means that root caries is likely to be an increasing problem. The aim of this review was to see if chlorhexidine varnish (CHX-V) is effective for treating root caries. The authors searched Medline, [read the full story…]
This review was first published in 2009 . The American Dental Association Centre for Evidence-based Dentistry has now published a critical summary of this review. The original review included 12 clinical trials involving 1818 patients and concluded that a twice-daily regimen of Chlorhexidine gel (0.2 percent) applied every 12 hours for seven consecutive days can [read the full story…]
