Journal of Dental Research, Vol 71, 1582-1586, Copyright © 1992 by International & American Associations for Dental Research Online Journals
Effects of chlorhexidine-containing gel and varnish on abutment teeth in patients with overdentures
H. M. Keltjens, T. J. Creugers, M. J. Schaeken and J. S. Van der Hoeven
Trikon, Institute for Dental Clinical Research, Dental School, University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Previous experiments have shown that daily use of 1% chlorhexidine gel
strongly reduced caries development in the abutment teeth under
overdentures. The present experiment was designed to determine whether
intermittent application of chlorhexidine, either in a varnish or in a gel,
might be used as an alternative preventive method, less demanding for the
patient. To this end, 31 patients were distributed among four treatment
groups, with the number of mutans streptococci in plaque and saliva used as
a balancing criterion. The treatments consisted of a single application of
40% chlorhexidine varnish, daily application of 1% chlorhexidine gel for
one week, or the corresponding placebo treatments with varnish or gel
without chlorhexidine. Patients were re-called for bacteriological and
clinical examination at various intervals during an eight-week period
following treatment. Chlorhexidine varnish and chlorhexidine gel
applications significantly suppressed mutans streptococci on the abutment
teeth for four and eight weeks, respectively. In agreement with earlier
findings, the numbers of Actinomyces viscosus/naeslundii in plaque were
significantly increased after chlorhexidine varnish treatment. The
chlorhexidine gel reduced plaque accumulation and gingival bleeding for one
week but had no long-lasting effect. The results seem to justify a
long-term clinical test of intermittent chlorhexidine applications as an
alternative for daily use in patients with overdentures.
