Chlorhexidine chip as adjunct in the treatment of chronic periodontitis

Chlorhexidine has long been Known as an effective antimicrobial agent against supra and subgingival plaque bacteria. Several multicenter random clinical trials demonstrated the efficacy of a biodegradable local delivery system of chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX) chip in reducing probing depth in chronic periodontitis. Objective: The aim of the present study was to evaluated the efficacy of CHX chip used as an adjunct to scaling and root planning (SRP) on reducing probing depth (RPD) in chronic periodontitis patients. Methods: Seventeen subjects (mean age 41.3), 9 males and 8 females, previously diagnosed chronic periodontitis from slight to moderate lesions, were enrolled in this study. Two teeth with at least 6mm of probing depth were used as test and control site in each subject. Test teeth received either SRP plus CHX chip and control teeth received SRP alone. Clinical examinations were performed at baseline and 3 months to verify RPD. Permutation test and ANOVA were used to compare mean of RPD from baseline to 3 months. Results: A total of 34 teeth, divided in 17 test and 17 control teeth, were examined. The present clinical study showed that no significant mean values of RPD was observed when CHX chip was used in conjunction with SRP than when SRP was used alone (mean 3.06 vs. 3.35 p < 0.05). Conclusion: These data showed that the adjunctive use of CHX chip results no significant reductions in mean values of probing depth when compared with SRP alone in chronic periodontitis.