The objective of this study was to evaluate three methods of intraoral anti-sepsis in the reduction of the number of streptococci in the gingival sulcus. The results showed that the three treatments reduced the number of streptococci in the gingival sulcus. The non-parametric Friedman test, set at 0.01 probability level showed no difference between the method that used a 0.12% chlorhexidine rinse associated with cleaning of the dental surfaces with a cotton swab moistened in this same solution and the method that used two rinses with cetylpyridinium chloride interspersed with cleaning of the dental surfaces with a cotton swab moistened in 3% hydrogen peroxide. These two methods were more efficient in the reduction of the number of streptococci than the method which used only chlorhexidine rinses.
Antisepsis; Streptococcus; Cetylpyridinium chloride; Chlorhexidine