The objective of this study was to evaluate bacterial growth on cotton suture. The efficiency of cetylpyridinium chloride (50%), hydrogen peroxide (3%) and chlorhexidine (0.12%) in antisepsis was investigated. For that, 20 patients who were submitted to extraction of impacted lower third molars were studied. Five days after extraction, samples were obtained from the oral and alveolar sides of the sutures, before and after antisepsis of the wounds, and were submitted to bacteriological analysis. Bacterial growth was observed in all examined samples. The number of streptococci decreased after antisepsis and there were no statistically significant differences between the methods of antisepsis used.
Antisepsis; Cetylpyridinium; Chlorhexidine; Surgery
