Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of chlorhexidine (CHX) cavity disinfection and of CHX containing glass ionomer cement (GIC) in inhibiting residual cariogenic bacteria. Methods: Ninety, five- to nine-year-olds were randomly allocated to three groups: Group 1—CHX containing GIC; Group 2—CHX cavity disinfection; and Group 3—conventional GIC. Total viable count (TVC), Streptococcus mutans (SM), and Lactobacillus (LB) were analyzed pre-, post-, and three months after atraumatic restorative treatment (ART). The results were statistically analyzed by one-way analysis of variance. Results: At three months microbial evaluation, Group 1 showed 65 percent reduction of both TVC and LB and 67 percent of SM. Group two showed 64 percent, 58 percent, and 56 percent reduction of TVC, LB, and SM respectively. Group 3 exhibited 41 percent, 42 percent, and 46 percent reduction in mean TVC, LB, and SM counts respectively. Residual microbial counts for Group 3 were 0.41, 0.61, and 0.53 (105 colony forming units) for TVC, LB, and SM, respectively, which was significantly higher (P<0.01) compared to the respective microbial counts in Groups 1 and 2. Conclusion: Both chlorhexidine disinfection and incorporation showed superior efficacy in inhibiting residual microbes compared to conventional ART.