A clinician's perspective on antimicrobial mouthrinses.

Today's dental professional must advise patients as to the antimicrobial mouthrinse appropriate for their periodontal condition. Considerations such as chemical nature, mechanism of action, efficacy, and safety of mouthrinses are important to the clinician. Taste and cost are equally important considerations to the patient. No ideal antimicrobial mouthrinse exists; yet, chlorhexidine gluconate (Peridex), Listerine, and two of its generic equivalents have the American Dental Association's Seal of Acceptance. An expanded role of antimicrobial mouthrinses that holds promise is that of preprocedural rinsing. This protocol can decrease the number of microorganisms aerosolized during numerous dental procedures.