A 3‐month clinical trial was conducted to compare the effects of two concentrations of a chlorhexidine mouthrinse on gingivitis and plaque accumulation. Six hundred (600) adults were divided into three treatment groups matched for age, sex, and initial gingivitis severity. Following a thorough examination and prophylaxis at baseline, subjects were given a mouthrinse containing either 0.12% or 0.20% chlorhexidine gluconate or a placebo mouthrinse. Subjects were evaluated after 6 weeks and 3 months of mouthrinse use. After 3 months, both chlorhexidine groups showed significantly less gingivitis and plaque than the placebo group. The group using the 0.12% chlorhexidine gluconate mouthrinse demonstrated 27–27 % less gingivitis occurrence and 28–28% less gingivitis severity than the placebo group. The 0.12% chlorhexidine gluconate group also had 48–48% less gingival bleeding and 36% less plaque than the placebo group. There were no significant advantages for the 0.20% mouthrinse over the 0.12% mouthrinse. It is therefore concluded that a 0.12% chlorhexidine gluconate mouthrinse offers the same clinical benefits as a 0.20% chlorhexidine gluconate mouthrinse.

The study results highlight the importance of performing a detailed examination and appropriate analysis. In both studies, tooth retention was high (mean number of teeth recorded was 26.4 and 28.0 respectively), smoking unusual, and families large and localised to the village. This community thus affords several advantages over populations in developed countries when considering familial studies of adult periodontitis.

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