ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To review the literature concerning hexetidine-containing mouthwash as a monotherapy or as an adjunct to oral hygiene in the prevention of plaque accumulation and gingival inflammation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PubMed-MEDLINE and the Cochrane-CENTRAL were searched through January 2010 to identify appropriate studies. The primary outcome measurements were plaque accumulation and gingivitis parameters. RESULTS: Independent screening of titles and abstracts of 168 papers resulted in six publications that met the eligibility criteria. Mean values and standard deviations were obtained by data extraction. Descriptive comparisons are presented for hexetidine mouthwash and control mouthwashes (chlorhexidine and placebo). CONCLUSIONS: Considering the potential benefits in the light of the observed side effects, hexetidine appears to be a poor alternative to chlorhexidine.
Subject(s)
Anti-Infective Agents, Local/therapeutic use , Dental Plaque/prevention & control , Gingivitis/prevention & control , Hexetidine/therapeutic use , Mouthwashes/therapeutic use , Chlorhexidine/therapeutic use , Gingival Hemorrhage/prevention & control , Humans , Oral Hygiene , Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic , Research DesignABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this review was to describe systematically the effects of hydrogen peroxide mouthwashes as an adjunct to daily oral hygiene or as a mono-therapy in the prevention of plaque accumulation and gingival inflammation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PubMed-MEDLINE and the Cochrane-CENTRAL were searched up to December 2009 to identify appropriate papers. The primary outcome measures included plaque accumulation and parameters of gingivitis. RESULTS: Independent screening of titles and abstracts of 229 articles resulted in 10 publications that met the criteria for eligibility. Descriptive comparisons are presented for hydrogen peroxide mouthwash as compared with control mouthwashes or no oral hygiene. Mean values and standard deviations were obtained by data extraction. Based on a quality assessment, three studies, of which one evaluated H(2)O(2) over a period of 6 months, were considered to represent a low risk of bias. This 6-month study showed a positive effect of the use of H(2)O(2) on the modified gingival index. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the studies included in this review showed that H(2)O(2) mouthwashes do not consistently prevent plaque accumulation when used as a short-term mono-therapy. When used as a long-term adjunct to daily oral hygiene, the results of one study indicate that oxygenating mouthwashes reduce gingival redness.
