Irrigation with antimicrobial agents for the treatment of periodontitis--is it effective?

Subgingival irrigation has been proposed as a beneficial adjunct to scaling and root planing or ultrasonic scaling. The most commonly investigated agents are iodine and chlorhexidine. Clinical studies from the past 15 years are reviewed to determine the real benefits of antimicrobial irrigants in conjunction with root planning. With knowledge of the treatment protocols and results of these clinical studies, the clinician is equipped with a biologic rationale for his treatment decisions in nonsurgical periodontics.