engleski

Use of antiseptic mouthwashes in patients reffered to the periodontist

Introduction: Mouthwashes are used as an adjuvant agent in daily oral hygiene, aiding in the chemical control of the dental biofilm. Many antiplaque and antigingivitis mouthwashes are commercially available at pharmacies, drugstores, and supermarkets. They do not require a prescription from a dentist, and that makes these products easily available to adults and children. The aim of this study was to assess the preventive attitudes of consecutive patients at the Department of Periodontology, School of Dental Medicine University of Zagreb, Croatia, regarding self-reported oral hygiene habits, and use of antiseptic mouthwashes. Materials and methods: Participants were patients referred to the Department of Periodontology, for initial assessment, opinion, and treatment. A self-reported questionnaire of dental habits was developed for this study. The patients gave written informed consent to participate in the study. The questionnaire was composed of socio-demographic variables, oral hygiene habits and use of mouthwashes. The participants were asked to note reasons for buying mouthwashes, where they bought them, frequency of use, source of information, and side effects. A total of 141 patients (94 females and 47 males, 18 to 79 years of age, mean 41±14 years) agreed to participate and responded to the questionnaire. Data were analyzed by SPSS 13.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Differences between the variables were compared using χ2 test. Results: 60 patients (42, 6%) were using mouthwashes. Most commonly used were fluoridated commercial mouthwashes (32, 3%), chlorhexidine gluconate mouthwashes (32, 2%), and mouthwashes based on essential oils (10, 7%). The most frequent reasons for buying mouthwash were soreness of the gingiva (50%), gingival bleeding (40%), and oral malodor (30%). 63, 3% of the mouthwashes were bought in pharmacies. TV-commercials showed to be the most influencing way of advertising. Some sorts of side effects were reported by 42, 1% patients. Conclusion: Since all participants had some form of an oral health problem, it seems that the percentage of patients using mouthwashes is low. More frequent advertising and prescription of these products would be advisable. According to the frequency of side effects described by patients, mouthwashes should be prescribed more cautiously and preferably after the professional assessment.

mouthwashes; antiseptics; periodontitis

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