ArticleBMC oral health2026
Comparative in vitro evaluation of staining of natural tooth enamel by chitosan, chlorhexidine, and chitosan-chlorhexidine mouthwashes.
Article in BMC oral health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundChitosan mouthwash has antimicrobial and antiplaque properties with lower cytotoxicity than many conventional mouthwashes. Given the well-known side effects of chlorhexidine, particularly tooth discoloration, this study aimed to compare enamel discoloration caused by chitosan, chlorhexidine, and chitosan-chlorhexidine mouthwashes, and to assess whether chitosan-based formulations could be a suitable alternative with fewer adverse effects. MATERIALS AND
methodsIn this in vitro study, 45 extracted premolar teeth, obtained for orthodontic reasons and free from structural defects, cracks, restorations, or visible caries, were randomly allocated into three groups of 15 samples each (chitosan, chlorhexidine, and chitosan-chlorhexidine). The teeth were first cleaned with prophylaxis paste and rubber cups. After baseline color measurement of the buccal surface using a spectrophotometer, the first group was immersed in 0.5% chitosan solution, the second in 0.2% chlorhexidine mouthwash, and the third in a combination of 0.5% chitosan and 0.2% chlorhexidine solution for 24 h. Solutions were stirred every three hours to ensure homogeneity. Finally, the buccal surface color was reassessed with the spectrophotometer, and the color change (ΔE) was calculated. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26, employing one-way ANOVA and Bonferroni post hoc tests.
resultsThe mean color change (ΔE) in the chitosan group (3.14 ± 1.86) was significantly higher than in the chitosan-chlorhexidine group (1.74 ± 0.88) and the chlorhexidine group (1.78 ± 0.58) (One-way ANOVA, p = 0.004). Pairwise comparisons using the Bonferroni test showed significant differences between the chitosan and chitosan-chlorhexidine groups (p = 0.010) and between the chitosan and chlorhexidine groups (p = 0.013). No significant difference was observed between the chitosan-chlorhexidine and chlorhexidine groups (p = 0.999).
conclusionEnamel discoloration caused by chitosan mouthwash is more than chlorhexidine and chitosan-chlorhexidine mouthwashes. Chitosan-chlorhexidine mouthwash revealed discoloration effects similar to those of chlorhexidine, indicating its potential as a substitute for traditional chlorhexidine, providing improved antimicrobial and antiplaque benefits while causing comparable or reduced discoloration.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.