Chlorhexidine and Salvadora persica-based mouthwashes reduce periodontal inflammation after non-surgical periodontal treatment

A recent study demonstrated that chlorhexidine (CHX) and Salvadora persica-based mouthwashes (SPM) effectively reduces periodontal soft-tissue inflammation after non-surgical periodontal treatment (NSPT). This study was published in the journal, Oral Health & Preventive Dentistry.

Individuals who self-reportedly smoked cigarettes, non-smokers who had periodontal inflammation, and non-smokers who had a healthy periodontal status were randomly divided into the following three groups. Group 1 received CHX, Group 2 received SPM, and Group 3 (control group) received distilled water with mint flavour. Outcomes assessed included gingival index (GI), plaque index (PI), probing depth (PD), clinical attachment loss (CAL), and marginal bone loss (MBL). After a 6-week follow-up, the clinical periodontal parameters were re-assessed.

Non-smokers experienced greater reductions in PI, GI, and PD post operatively with CHX and SPM when compared to the control group. At baseline, smokers’ oral candida carriage (OCC) was significantly higher than non-smokers’ OCC. Additionally, CHX was superior to SPM at lowering OCC in non-smokers at the 6-month follow-up.

This study found that CHX and SPM can reduce periodontal soft-tissue inflammation in both smokers and non-smokers after NSPT. Moreover, post-operative CHX use was found to be more effective at reducing OCC than SPM.