Controlling Oral Flora: Bacteriological Study of Oral Flora with Application of Chlorhexidine Varnish in Orthodontic Patients

Chlorhexidine is a preferable antiseptic agent used in dentistry. In this study, varnish of chlorhexidine was applied to the teeth of 15 patients aged from 13-15 years being treated with fixed orthodontic appliances. Saliva samples were collected at four stages (before application of the orthodontic appliance, one week after application of the fixed orthodontic appliance, one week after application of the chlorhexidine varnish and four weeks after application of chlorhexidine varnish. The samples were evaluated and there was an increase in bacterial levels after application of orthodontic appliances, then bacterial levels decreased after one week of application of chlorhexidine varnish, but increased slightly again after four weeks at a lower rate than the previous samples. It was concluded that chlorhexidine varnish had a good effect in the control of oral flora especially S. mutans and Candida thus it had a good role in reducing carious lesions, periodontal diseases and oral lesions. Chlorhexidine varnishes needed to be applied frequently, usually every four weeks after the initial application, to obtain the best results.