Oral antiseptic and periodontitis: a clinical and microbiological study.

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the efficacy of a xanthan-based chlorhexidine gel (Xan-CHX) used as antiseptic in periodontal pockets after scaling and root planing in patients with generalized mild-severe chronic periodontitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 30 systemically healthy patients, 15 males and 15 females (mean age 54,1 ± 6,9 years), diagnosed for chronic periodontitis were enrolled in this study. For each patient, in the 1(st) and 4(th) quadrant was applied antiseptic (Test sites); while the 2nd and 3rd were treated with the only mechanical causal therapy without using chemical agents (Control sites). Sub gingival plaque, gingival bleeding (BOP+), plaque index (PI-Plaque Control Record) and Probing Depths (PD) were evaluated at baseline (prior to any treatment) and after 4 weeks (21 days after treatment). RESULTS: The results showed that the mechanical causal therapy has a good effect in reducing the clinical indices, but the addition of antiseptics provides a significantly improvement in the PI, BOP and frequency of periodontopathic bacteria. CONCLUSION: The application of xanthan-based chlorhexidine (Xan-CHX) gel offers a great benefit in improving of the indices of periodontal disease, proving to be essential as adjunctive therapy in patients with a serious or moderate high chronic periodontitis, and of course as part of a program of periodontal treatment.