Comparative Evaluation of 0.2% Chlorhexidine Mouth Rinse with and without Antidiscoloration System

Introduction: Chlorhexidine (CHX) is considered the gold standard agent for its clinical efficacy in chemical plaque control. The addition of other active ingredients may even reduce the antiplaque effectiveness. New mouthwash containing CHX with addition of an antidiscoloration system (ADS), i.e., Plasdone K-29/32, that claims to bind to stains, increases their solubility in water and effects their removal; thus the mouthwash promises not only to prevent plaque formation but also to avoid staining. Aim: To clinically evaluate the efficacy of a 0.2% CHX mouth rinse with and without an ADS. Materials and methods: The present study was a tripleblinded, prospective, cohort, and crossover study. This study consisted of 15 subjects. Supragingival scaling and polishing were done and then subjects were asked to rinse with a randomly allocated mouthwash for 15 days. Subjects used either mouthwash A (0.2% CHX with ADS) or mouthwash B (0.2% CHX). After 15 days, the discoloration index and plaque index (PI) were recorded. After 15 days washout period, on the 30th day from baseline, supragingival scaling and polishing were carried out, and each subject used the subsequent mouthwash. On 45th day from baseline, the discoloration and PIs were recorded and comparisons were made. Results: No significant difference in the PI between groups I and II mouthwash was seen (p≥0.05), whereas significant difference was found in the discoloration index between groups I and II mouthwash (p≤0.05). Conclusion: The addition of Plasdone does not reduce the efficacy of CHX mouthwash. The current study also proved that CHX with ADS caused less staining than CHX alone.