Effect of a twice daily 0.12% chlorhexidine rinse on the oral health of a geriatric population

Abstract

The inhibitory effect of a chlorhexidine rinse on gingival inflammation and plaque accumulation has been well documented. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a twice daily oral rinse with 0.12% chlorhexidine will resolve denture-associated inflammation in a geriatric population. Thirty-six subjects, average age 83 years, were randomly divided into two groups, active and control, and further stratified into three subgroups, removable partial dentures, complete overdentures and lacking a removable prosthesis. Gingival (Löe and Silness '63) and plaque (Silness and Löe '64) indexes were performed on teeth Nos 3, 9, 12, 19, 25 and 28 at baseline and at 60 days. The subjects, following baseline measurements, were required to rinse twice daily for 30 seconds with either a 15 ml solution of 0.12% chlorhexidine or a placebo and instructed to continue their normal oral hygiene routine. The data were statistically analyzed. When active and control groups were compared, either in total or within their stratified subdivisions, significant differences were observed (P less than 0.001). The active group had a 10.27% and 16.68% reduction in the gingival and plaque indexes, respectively, compared to insignificant changes in the control groups. It was concluded that although chlorhexidine proved effective in reducing inflammation and plaque scores, this reduction was not influenced by the type of prosthesis worn.