Comparison of Commercially Available 0.2% Chlorhexidine Mouthwash with and Without Anti-discoloration System: A Blinded, Crossover Clinical Trial

Aim: To evaluate clinical performance and side effects of two commercially available 0.2% chlorhexidine mouthwashes after periodontal surgery, one with (test) and one without (control) an anti-discoloration system.

Materials And Methods: This single-centre, crossover clinical trial included 38 patients undergoing two sessions of periodontal flap surgery. The participants used two different 0.2% chlorhexidine products, one with and one without an anti-discoloration system, in the 14-day post-operative periods. Plaque, gingival inflammation, tooth staining, side effects and patient preference were evaluated.

Results: The control mouthwash (without an anti-discolouring system) produced significantly lower plaque (p = 0.02) and gingival index (p = 0.01) compared to the test mouthwash. The test mouthwash produced significantly less staining in the gingival (p = 0.002) and approximal areas (p = 0.0004), but no difference was detected in the buccal area of the teeth. The patients did not show preference for any of the mouthwashes.

Conclusion: Chlorhexidine mouthwash without an anti-discoloration system resulted in significantly lowered plaque and gingival index compared to chlorhexidine mouthwash with an anti-discoloration following periodontal surgery. No difference in patient preference was found despite less side effects produced by the chlorhexidine mouthwash with the anti-discoloration system.