Chlorhexidine, A Medicine for all the Oral Diseases

Chlorhexidine is a bisbiguanide antiseptic. It is active against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains as well as fungi. It has bacteriostatic and bactericidal actions. Chlorhexidine has excellent antiplaque activity and unique property of substantivity. So it has got wide applications starting from maintaining oral hygiene pre surgically to post operative and also in physically and mentally handicapped patients. Chlorhexidine is now routinely used by clinicians when they treat patients with fixed appliances in orthodontia and maxillofacial surgeries. Chlorhexidine has been extensively used in various medical fields such as gynecology, urology and ophthalmology; also in disinfection of operation fields and treatment of burns. Its products are available in various forms like mouth rinses, gels, sprays, toothpastes and varnishes.