# Comparing the Effectiveness of 0.12% Chlorhexidine and Silver Nanoparticles Mouthwashes: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial Among Medical Students in Southern Vietnam

## TL;DR

This study compared 0.12% chlorhexidine and silver nanoparticle mouthwashes in reducing dental plaque and gingivitis among medical students in Vietnam.

## Contribution

The study provides empirical evidence comparing the effectiveness of two antimicrobial mouthwashes in a real-world clinical trial.

## Key findings

- 0.12% chlorhexidine significantly reduced plaque and gingivitis after 21 days.
- Both mouthwashes improved clinical parameters, but chlorhexidine showed better plaque control.
- No significant difference was found between the two mouthwashes in most other clinical indices.

## Abstract

Background: Dental plaque and gingivitis are prevalent conditions that can be controlled using antimicrobial mouthwashes.

Aim and design: This double-blind, randomized controlled clinical trial aims to compare the effectiveness of 0.12% chlorhexidine (CHX) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) mouthwashes in managing dental plaque, gingivitis, microbial counts, and saliva pH.

Materials and methods: A total of 95 medical students were randomly divided into three groups: Group I (control group), 0.9% sodium chloride; Group II, 0.12% CHX mouthwash; and Group III, AgNPs mouthwash. Clinical parameters evaluated on the baseline and 21stday included the gingival index, Quigley‐Hein plaque index (QHI), microbial counts, and saliva pH. The analysis of variance (ANOVA), Tukey post-hoc test, and paired t-tests were implemented.

Results: The QHI in Group II decreased from 2.66 ± 0.75 to 1.97 ± 0.61 after 21 days (p < 0.001). Specifically for the QHI, there is a statistically significant difference between Group II and Group III, while there is no statistically significant difference when comparing the two groups in other clinical indices, and both groups showed a noticeable improvement after 21 days of use.

Conclusions: Both 0.12% CHX and AgNPs mouthwashes are appropriate alternative options for daily oral hygiene. However, CHX mouthwash should still be prioritized for plaque control.