Mode of action of chlorhexidine
- The capacity to be adsorbed on oral surfaces is the basis for the excellent substantivity of chlorhexidine.
- The bactericidal effects are due to deposition of the positively charged chlorhexidine on the negatively charged phosphate-containing compounds in the bacterial membrane, thus destabilising the membrane, and inhibiting the adhesion of the bacterial cells at the tooth surfaces (Jones 1997).
