The rationale for chemical adjuncts in plaque control

The rationale for the adjunctive use of chemical anti-plaque agents depends on many factors in addition to the inherent antimicrobial properties of those agents. What is indicated generally is a basic oral hygiene regimen, as simple as it can be, bearing in mind the practical difficulties of getting people to clean their teeth optimally. Chemical adjuncts in many cases have the potential to simplify plaque control regimens. The mode of delivery may be critical to the success or otherwise of an adjunct. Adjuncts may simplify and accelerate the work of hygienists as well as patients. They may also serve to control plaque in severe forms of infectious inflammatory periodontal disease, as well as providing practical means of plaque control in the handicapped, or in those unable to practice optimal conventional home care oral hygiene. Chemical anti-plaque adjuncts offer a prospect of re-establishing the homeostasis of oral microbial biofilms fully consonant with the aims of modern periodontal medicine.