Efficacy of Two Mouth Rinses in Reducing Aerosol Bacterial Load during Ultrasonic Scaling

Aims: The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of two mouth washes namely Chlorhexidine 0.2% and 5% green tea mouth rinse when used as pre-procedural rinses in reducing the number of CFU in aerosol generated during ultrasonic scaling.

Study Design: Quasi experimental study.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Periodontology, Ziauddin college of Dentistry, Ziauddin University, Karachi, between January 2019 to August 2019.

Methodology: 70 subjects were recruited in this study (43 males, 27 females: age range 18-65 years with presence of minimum 20 permanent functional teeth, less than 5 mm mean probing depth and plaque and gingival score between 1-3.

Subjects were randomly divided into two groups, group 1 and group 2. Each group comprised of 35 patients. A split mouth design technique was used for collecting the aerosol samples on blood agar plates. For every patient, there was a control side and test side of mouth. Ultrasonic scaling was done on control side without pre procedural rinsing and vice versa. Group 1 used 0.2% Chlorhexidine while group 2 rinsed with 5% green tea mouthwash. The blood agar plates were then transported to Microbiology lab and incubated for counting the colony forming units (CFU).

Results: Significant reduction of CFU occurred with pre procedural rinsing with both mouthwashes as compared to non-rinsing before ultrasonic scaling and 0.2% Chlorhexidine found to be superior to 5% green tea in reducing bacterial load in aerosol samples

Conclusion: Pre procedural mouth rinsing with effective mouthwashes significantly reduces aerosol contamination and should be used before all dental procedures that results in formation of aerosols and splatters along with some other infection control protocol to minimize the risks of cross infection in clinical settings.