ABSTRACT
Background & Objective: Chlorhexidine mouth rinses are utilized worldwide on regular basis in oral hygiene practice for plaque control. Studies have shown that chlorhexidine has toxic effects on a variety of eukaryotic cells. Micronuclei count in exfoliative cells is an economical and non invasive diagnostic method for evaluation of cytotoxic effects of many carcinogens/ co-carcinogens. The present study was conducted in order to evaluate frequency of micronuclei in buccal epithelial cells of patients using chlorhexidine containing mouthrinses. Methodology: Study included 50 subjects, of whom 30 having clinically suspected mild gingivitis, rinsed with chlorhexidine; 20 control subjects, rinsed with saline. Buccal epithelial cells were collected with a brush before and after one week of usage of chlorhexidine by patients and physiologic saline by controls. Cells subjected to Fuelgen reaction and analysed by two independent observers for micronuclei counts. Results: Considerable increase in micronuclei count was noted in patients using chlorhexidine compared to controls. Conclusion: Present study suggests that chlorhexidine has cytotoxic effects and further studies involving the therapeutic use of different mouthrinses for a longer duration may provide justification for their usage in clinical practice.