Chlorhexidine varnish (CHX-V) may provide a beneficial effect against root caries for patients in need of special care, according to a new study (Caries Research, April 2011, Vol. 45:2, pp. 162-173).
The aim of this review was to determine whether CHX-V is an appropriate intervention to prevent or treat root caries in patients with recessions.
A team of researchers from the Netherlands searched PubMed, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and the Excerpta Medical Database for studies conducted in the period up to and including December 23, 2010, and identified six papers that met their eligibility criteria.
The structured search strategy was designed to include any published paper that evaluated the effect of CHX-V on root caries.
Among the study findings:
- Data extraction provided no conclusive evidence that the application of CHX-V is effective in patients when regular professional oral prophylaxis is performed.
- If effective, the 40% CHX-V was found to provide a benefit over a control or fluoride varnish.
- CHX-V at lower concentrations (1% and 10%) may provide protection against root caries in high-risk patients (such as geriatric and xerostomia patients) in the absence of regular professional oral prophylaxis.
"Within the limitations of this review, it may be concluded that when professional tooth cleaning and hygiene instructions are regularly followed, little to no additional effect of CHX-V is evident," the authors concluded. "However, the meta-analysis showed that CHX-V may have a place in high-risk patients such as the elderly or those with xerostomia."
Even so, the quality of evidence emerging from this review considering the use of CHX-V can be considered "weak," they added.
