ISSN:
1600-051X
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a 0.5% chlorhexidine gel on the reduction of interdental gingival bleeding.Material and Methods: Forty-three mentally handicapped subjects, living in an institution (Casas André Luiz, Brazil), were enrolled in a double-blind randomised clinical trial. The subjects were randomly divided into two groups: test (chlorhexidine gel) and control (placebo gel). The gel was applied with trays, twice a day, over a period of 8 weeks. The interdental bleeding index (IBI) was recorded before and after the period in which the gel was used.Results: Statistical analysis showed that baseline IBI scores were similar (p=0.82) for test and control groups (55.6% and 54.5%, respectively). After 8 weeks, a statistically significant (p〈0.001) decrease in IBI means took place in the test group (33.2%). The control group presented a small increase (60.6%) in IBI scores. The difference between groups was significant at the end of the study (p〈0.001).Conclusion: The results indicated that the use of a 0.5% chlorhexidine gel was effective in reducing interdental gingival bleeding in special patients.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1034/j.1600-051X.2003.00299.x
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