Question · asked by 1 review
Chlorhexidine mouthwash vs Blank control: Total bacteria (colony count)
- Population
- Orthodontic patients (any age) undergoing orthodontic treatment (mostly fixed appliances)
- Intervention
- Chlorhexidine mouthwash
- Comparison
- Blank control
- Outcome
- Total bacteria (colony count)
Chlorhexidine mouthwash may reduce total bacteria colony counts versus blank control in the short term, but the evidence is very uncertain (very low certainty).
What each review found
Current versions only| Finding | Effect | Studies | GRADE certainty |
|---|---|---|---|
Chlorhexidine (CHX) mouthwash (adjunct to mechanical cleaning) vs Blank control (no mouthwash; before-after comparison) Total bacteria (colony count) · Orthodontic patients (any age) undergoing orthodontic treatment (mostly fixed appliances) · <=3 months (short-term), Orthodontic patients undergoing orthodontic treatment (randomized controlled trials; multiple countries) Chlorhexidine mouthwash may reduce total bacteria colony counts versus blank control in the short term, but the evidence is very uncertain (very low certainty). The efficacy of mouthwashes on oral microorganisms and gingivitis in patients undergoing orthodontic… (2023) All outcomes | Colony count of total bacteria were significantly reduced compared to placebos according to two studies [34, 43]. | 2 studies | Very low |
Findings are shown side by side, never pooled across reviews.
The reviews
| Review | Searched up to | Included studies | AMSTAR 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| The efficacy of mouthwashes on oral microorganisms and gingivitis in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment: a systematic review and… 2023 All outcomes | 16 April 2022 (databases and grey literature searched by 16 April 2022; no publication-year limit) | 47 | Low / Moderate |
How reviews are matched to this question
Reviews word the same question differently. Four decision models (TypeSafe's Jev, Liquid AI's d1-ultra, SubQ Snap and Baseten's Elephant) judged each wording of the population, intervention, comparator and outcome against the others; two wordings count as the same when at least three of them agree and none clearly disagrees, and findings count as this question only when all four elements match. Timing, setting and subgroup never split a question: they are shown on each finding.