Longitudinal effects of an antibacterial oral rinse on gingivitis and dental plaque.

The purpose of this study was to determine what effect oral rinse containing alexidine dihydrochloride (Calgon Consumer Products Company, a Subsidiary of Merck & Co.) would have on gingivitis and plaque. Following a dental prophylaxis, 167 male and female, 7-12-year-old students in Puerto Rican elementary school rinsed twice daily for 60 sec. with 10 ml of either a placebo oral rinse or one containing alexidine dihydrochloride. All students brushed their teeth daily in school. Gingivitis and plaque were scored on all buccal and lingual tooth surfaces prior to the prophylaxis and on days 30, 90, and 160. On these dates, blood and urine analysis were also made. A second prophylaxis was given at the end of the study. The adjusted mean gingivitis and plaque scores were compared between the treatment and placebo groups at 30, 90, and 160 days using analysis of covariance. The alexidine dihydrochloride oral rinse was found to reduce significantly gingivitis after 160 days (p less than 0.02) of treatment and plaque scores 30 days (p less than 0.01), 90 days (p less than 0.001), and 160 days (p less than 0.001) after treatment. No blood or urine changes were attributed to the active ingredient oral rinse.