The effects of three oral sprays on plaque and gingival inflammation.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this clinical trial was to compare the effects of three oral sprays containing chlorhexidine (CHX), benzydamine hydrochloride (B-HCl), and CHX plus B-HCl (CHX/B-HCl) on plaque and gingivitis. METHODS: Fifty-one periodontally healthy volunteers, randomly divided into three spray groups, refrained from all mechanical oral hygiene measures for 7 days and, instead, used one of the randomly assigned sprays twice daily. The plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), and gingival bleeding time index (GBTI) were assessed at days 0 and 7. Side effects were also evaluated. RESULTS: In all groups, PI, GI, and GBTI showed significant increases from the baseline to day 7. There were no significant side effects for B-HCl spray and CHX spray at day 7, but, for CHX/B-HCl, burning sensation significantly increased from the baseline. For all parameters, there were significant differences between B-HCl and CHX/B-HCl and between B-HCl and CHX, but no significant differences were observed between CHX/B-HCl and CHX. In addition, a significant difference was found between CHX/B-HCl and CHX with regard to burning sensation. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that both CHX and CHX/B-HCl sprays have equal clinical effectiveness, but only B-HCl spray has less anti-plaque and anti-gingivitis effects. Furthermore, CHX/B-HCl spray causes more side effects.

Archwire ligation techniques, microbial colonization, and periodontal status in orthodontically treated patients.

Fixed or removable orthodontic appliances impede the maintenance of oral hygiene and result in plaque accumulation. Plaque retention surrounding orthodontic appliances leads to enamel demineralization caused by organic acids produced by bacteria in the dental plaque. Many studies have evaluated the effects of fixed orthodontic appliances on microbial flora and periodontal status, but only a few have evaluated the method of ligation as an additional factor. The aim of this study was to determine the changes in microbial flora and periodontal status after orthodontic bonding and to determine whether two different archwire ligation techniques affect these changes. A total of 21 orthodontic patients scheduled for fixed orthodontic treatment were selected for this split-mouth study. Two commonly used auxiliaries (elastomeric rings and ligature wires) for tying archwires were tested. Microbial and periodontal records were obtained before bonding (T0), one week later (T1), and five weeks after bonding (T2). Paired t-test and Wilcoxon signed rank test were used to compare the groups statistically. Although, teeth ligated with elastomeric rings exhibited slightly greater numbers of microorganisms than teeth ligated with steel ligature wires, the differences were not statistically significant and could be ignored. The two archwire ligation techniques showed no significant differences in the gingival index, bonded bracket plaque index, or pocket depths of the bonded teeth. However, teeth ligated with elastomeric rings were more prone to bleeding. Therefore, elastomeric ring use is not recommended in patients with poor oral hygiene.

The comparison of various oral hygiene strategies in neuromuscularly disabled individuals.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to investigate the effect of various oral hygiene strategies on the symptoms of inflammation in neuromuscularly disabled patients and to define the optimum hygiene method. METHODS: Fifty-nine neuromuscularly disabled participants, suffering from cerebral palsy, were randomly divided into five groups as follows: Group M: manual toothbrush (n=14), Group E: electrically powered toothbrush (n=9), Group MC: manual toothbrush and chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX) spray (n=13), Group EC: electrically powered toothbrush and CHX spray (n=9), and Group C: CHX spray (n=14). The oral hygiene applications were provided by the parents and staff. At baseline and after 21 days the plaque index (PI), the gingival index (GI), and bleeding on probing (BOP) were recorded. RESULTS: In intra-group comparisons of the pre- and post-application scores, in all groups the PI and GI scores and BOP percentages, except in Group C, were found significantly different (p<0.05). There were significant differences among the post-application scores, between Group M and Group E and between Group C and Group E in PI scores; between Group C and Group E the difference in GI scores were found statistically significant (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Although all oral hygiene strategies reduced plaque and gingival inflammation, the results of our study suggested the electrically powered toothbrush could be more recommendable to neuromuscularly disabled people in these strategies, while the combined procedures appeared to be neither beneficial nor favorable.