Title: Retention and plaque-inhibiting effect in man of chlorhexidine after multiple mouth rinses and retention and release of chlorhexidine after toothbrushing with a chlorhexidine gel
Abstract: The retention of chlorhexidine was measured during 10 consecutive 15-s mouth rinses with 10ml of 0.05, 0.10 and 0.20 per cent (w/v) [14C]-chlorhexidine-digluconate; the 0.05 per cent concentration was also tested in 20-ml volumes. Multiple mouth rinses led to accumulated retention of the drug in the mouth; increasing the rinsing volume increased the retention. Rinsing twice with 20 ml of 0.05 per cent chlorhexidine-digluconate twice daily was effective in plaque inhibition in a sucrose-stimulated plaque model. Toothbrushing with 1 g of a 1.0 per cent (w/w) chlorhexidine-digluconate gel led to a retention of chlorhexidine ≈ the retention after a 0.10 per cent (w/v) chlorhexidine mouth rinse. The release of chlorhexidine into saliva during the following 24 h followed the same pattern as observed earlier after chlorhexidine mouth rinses.