Introduction. Chlorhexidine gluconate is both the most prescribed and the most effective antiseptic mouthwash to date. Dentists often prescribe it for treating periodontal inflammation, swelling and bleeding caused by gingivitis or periodontitis. However, incidents of hypersensitivity including anaphylaxis and reactions to chlorhexidine have been reported in the medical and dental literature. The present study aims at exploring the awareness of general dentists about chlorhexidine hypersensitivity and at finding a possible association between gender, place of work, years of clinical experience, and awareness on chlorhexidine hypersensitivity. Materials and methods. 306 participants were asked to complete a questionnaire with data about their gender, years of clinical experience, place of work (governmental or private), most prescribed mouthwash to their patients, and questions regarding awareness on chlorhexidine hypersensitivity. The collected data was then subjected to statistical analysis. Results and discussion. The results showed that only 10.13% of the participants were aware that chlorhexidine has been related to allergic reactions, while 89.86% were not aware of this. They stated that chlorhexidine was the most frequently prescribed mouthwash, followed by cetylpyridinium chloride and essential oils. The least frequently prescribed was hydrogen peroxide. However, statistical analysis showed that dentists who recommend chlorhexidine mouthwash had the same knowledge about chlorhexidine allergy as dentists who do not recommend it. Conclusions. Extremely low awareness and lack of knowledge among the participant dentists were found out. Hence, more awareness programs should be undertaken.
Keywords:- anaphylaxis
- chlorhexidine
- hypersensitivity.
- mouthwash