Comparative evaluation of the cytotoxic effects of different oral antiseptics: A primary culture study

Dental plaque is a major oral health problem with severe consequences. Oral antiseptics provide important means for controlling dental plaque formation and are widely used by the public. However, some of these antiseptics have been shown to have side effects on oral tissues.

In this study, we aimed to investigate the time and dose-dependent cytotoxic effects of various antiseptics on primary human gingival fibroblasts (HGF).

HGF cells were obtained using primary culture techniques. The effects of various doses of 5 antiseptics containing Chlorhexidine-Gluconate (CHX), CHX with Benzydamine-Hydrochloride (Benzydamine-HCl), Povidone-Iodine (PVP-I), Benzydamine-HCl and Essential-Oil on HGFs were analyzed by using 2,3-bis (2-metoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-5-[(phenylamino) carbonyl]-2H-tetrazolium hydroxide cell viability assay after 30, 60, and 180 s of exposure. Results: Cell viability analyses showed that cell death increased in an application time and dose-dependent manner. There was a statistically significant difference in the effects of each antiseptic on live-cell densities compared to the control group and each other (P < 0.001). Antiseptic containing 0.2% CHX showed the highest cytotoxicity on cells. The remaining viable cell density after administration of 0.2% CHX at a dose of 12.5% for 30 s is 35.19%. The high cytotoxic effect of 0.2% CHX was followed by 0.12% CHX with 0.15% Benzydamine-HCl, PVP-I and 0.15% Benzydamine-HCl groups. The lowest cytotoxic effect was observed for the Essential-Oil containing antiseptic solution.

The results of this study show that these five antiseptic agents have variable effects on in vitro HGF proliferation. The doses and administration times of antiseptics should be controlled carefully during dental applications.