Rinse By Chlorhexidine Do Not Help Caries

Chlorhexidine and thymol in a varnish can prevent root caries, but chlorhexidine rinse is probably useless against caries of all kinds. This finding is perhaps the biggest surprise in a comprehensive review of nonfluoride caries-preventive agents performed by a panel of the American Dental Association (ADA) and published in summary in the September issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association, with a more detailed report available on the organization's Center for Evidence-Based Dentistry Web site.

"We are moving toward management of caries as a chronic condition, rather than putting in a filling and watching until it breaks," Michael Rethman, DDS, lead author of the review and vice president for scientific research at the ADA foundation.