Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 13, 2026
Oral Health Assessment by Lay Personnel for Older Adults
Published on: February 2, 2020
Efficacy of chlorhexidine-thymol varnish (Cervitec) against plaque accumulation and gingival inflammation in a
Javier Clavero1, Pilar Baca, M Paloma González
1School of Dentistry, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
Objectives:
To determine whether the 3-monthly application of chlorhexidine (CHX)-thymol varnish is an effective method of controlling plaque and gingivitis in a group of institutionalised elderly as a complement to their usual oral hygiene practices.
Design:
A 6-month double-blind clinical trial.
Setting:
Two residential homes in Almería (Spain).
Participants:
Fifty-six dentate subjects aged above 64 years who completed the 6-month study.
Intervention:
The study subjects were randomly assigned to one of two groups (Cervitec or placebo). Varnishes were applied twice in the first week of the study and were applied again a month later and every 3 months until the end of the study. The patients continued with their usual oral hygiene practices throughout the study.
Measurement:
Plaque index and gingival index scores were determined at baseline and after 1, 3 and 6 months.
Results:
Treatment with Cervitec varnish had a statistically significant effect overtime on the gingival index score (p = 0.029), but not on the plaque index score (p = 0.651). The groups did not significantly differ in reductions in plaque or gingival index scores between baseline and 1, 3 or 6 months.
Conclusion:
According to these results, Cervitec, a CHX-thymol varnish, does not appear to reduce plaque and gingivitis by a 3-monthly application in the institutionalised elderly with poor oral hygiene. Wider studies are required to investigate different varnishing protocols in geriatric populations.
