Clinical effects of a new mouthrinse containing chlorhexidine, cetylpyridinium chloride and zinc-lactate on oral halitosis

Objectives: The aim of this double-blind, parallel study was to test the clinical efficacy of a newly developed mouthrinse in the treatment of oral halitosis in patients without periodontitis. Material and methods: Forty volunteers, recruited in two centers, participated in this study. Patients were selected on the basis of (1) halitosis of oral origin, (2) full-mouth organoleptic score >1, using an arbitrary 0-5 scale, (3) level of volatile sulfur compounds (VSC) >170 parts per billion (ppb) and (4) Winkel tongue coating index (WTCI) > 4 (0-12). Intervention included gargling with a mouthrinse containing chlorhexidine (0.05%), cetylpyridinium chloride (0.05%) and zinc-lactate (0.14%) or with a placebo mouthrinse without active ingredients. At days 0 and 14 clinical variables were assessed in order of performance: (1) organoleptic assessments, (2) levels of VSC, and (3) WTCI. Results: Treatment with the active mouthrinse resulted in a significant mean reduction in the organoleptic score from 2.8 to 1.5 (p