THE INFLUENCE OF 0.12-PERCENT CHLORHEXIDINE DIGLUCONATE RINSES ON THEINCIDENCE OF INFECTIOUS COMPLICATIONS AND IMPLANT SUCCESS

The effect of perioperative chlorhexidine on the frequency of infectio us complications through stage II was examined. Chlorhexidine was used perioperatively in 54.6% of patients (52.5% of implants) in a Dental Implant Clinical Research Group study with a database of 2,641 implant s (595 patients), With chlorhexidine, there was a significant reductio n in the number of infectious complications (4.1% vs 8.7%), Two percen t of implants failed in the absence of an infectious complication, whe reas 12% with infectious complications failed, This sixfold difference is highly significant, Chlorhexidine may reduce microbial complicatio ns when used in the immediate perioperative period.