Chlorhexidine Rinses Versus Chlorhexidine Varnishes

Studies indicate that use of chlorhexidine (CHX) varnishes can reduce the population of S. mutans in plaque and consequently reduce decay, when applied in a conscientious protocol. 

There are 2 varnishes in general use for this purpose; however, there has been no study of their effect on plaque. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology followed 16 volunteers who had plaque removed at the start and applications of CHX rinsing, Cervetic varnish, EC 40 varnish, or no therapy at all. All participants were instructed to not brush, chew gum, or perform any oral hygiene care for 3 days. When their plaque index score was charted, the study found that participants who had no therapy had the highest levels of plaque, and the group using the CHX rinse had the lowest, and those with the varnish groups were at different levels in between. Differences between the Cervetic and EC40 varnishes were not significant, though the EC40 was more effective when analyzed by automatic image analysis. Results indicated that CHX rinsing was most effective against plaque in this short-term study.