Year : 2016

Volume : Volume 6

Issue : Issue 3

Address for correspondence :
Dr. Mahesh J
dr.maheshJ@yahoo.co.in

Abstract

Background:  The oral cavity provides a unique environment which is an ideal medium for the growth of bacteria. Repeated exposure of the dental professional to these microorganisms present in blood and saliva places them at a higher risk for developing various infectious diseases.  Aims & Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate the number of colony forming units without and with pre-procedural mouth rinses of Chlorhexidine 0.2% and Listerine and to compare the efficacy of these two mouth rinses in reducing the number of colony forming units in aerosols produced by ultrasonic scalers at various distances.  Results: The results of this study clearly indicate that the antibacterial mouthrinses (Chlorhexidine 0.2% and Listerine) used as a preprocedural mouthrinses can significantly reduce the viable microbial content in aerosols generated during ultrasonic scaling.  When the two mouthrinses were compared, Chlorhexidine 0.2% was found to have a more significant effect than Listerine in reducing the number of colony forming units.  Conclusion: the results indicate that pre-procedural rinsing with an antibacterial mouthrinse may potentially have a role in reducing the risk of cross contamination with infectious agents in the dental operatory.

Keywords: Aerosol. Chlorhexidine, Listerine, Splatter, Scalers, Ultrasonic.