clinical effects of chlorhexidine 0.2% and cetylpyridinium 0.05% combination in comparison with chlorhexidine, cetylpyridinium and persica in reducing oral bacteria in healthy individuals

Background: preparation of a new product with the goal of reducing chlorhexidine’s side effects without decreasing (and even increasing) its effectiveness is a desirable goal for researchers in the field of oral hygiene. the aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of chlorhexidine 0.2% and cetylpyridinium 0.05% combination in reducing oral bacteria in comparison with chlorhexidine 0.2%, cetylpyridinium 0.05% and persica mouthwashes. methods: 100 healthy volunteers aged between 18 and 30 years were randomly assigned to 5 groups. the first group received chlorhexidine 0.2%, the second group received cetylpyridinium 0.05%, the third received persica, the fourth received chlorhexidine 0.2% plus cetylpyridinium 0.05%, and the fifth group received chlorhexidine 0.05% plus cetylpyridinium 0.05%. samples were obtained at baseline and thirty minutes after oral rinsing with the mouthwashes. the number of colony-forming units (cfu/ml) before and after mouthwash administration was compared for each sample. results: the preparation with the most bacterial count reduction was found to be chlorhexidine 0.2% and cetylpyridinium 0.05% combination. however, the difference between efficacy of chlorhexidine 0.2% plus cetylpyridinium 0.05% and chlorhexidine 0.05% plus cetylpyridinium 0.05% was found not to be statistically significant. conclusion: a new mouthwash preparation including chlorhexidine 0.05% and cetylpyridinium 0.05 % combination is the most desirable due to the increased efficacy and fewer side effects.