Chlorhexidine – An Insight.

The effectiveness of mechanical plaque control is influenced by the individual’s manual ability and motivation. Because of the difficulty to ensure adequate removal of plaque by mechanical means, there is a great interest in the use of antimicrobial agents to replace or to be adjuncts to the mechanical approaches. Chemical plaque control agents can be used to augment mechanical cleaning methods both to prevent and to treat periodontal diseases. Chlorhexidine is a gold standard against which other antiplaque and antigingivitis agents are measured.It can be either bacteriostatic or bactericidal depending on the dose. It is available in different formulations.Thus the aim of the article was to provide a thorough review regarding the characteristics, the applications and problems associated with the use of chlorhexidine in dental field.