Expert consensus on the use of oral antiseptics in oral surgery: Evidence-based clinical practice guidelines

Abstract

Antiseptic management in oral surgery remains heterogeneous, with no standardised, procedure-specific protocols guiding the perioperative use of agents such as chlorhexidine (CHX) or cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC). This consensus document aims to integrate the best available evidence with structured expert judgement to generate evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for the use of oral antiseptics across dentoalveolar and implant surgical scenarios. CHX constitutes the gold standard oral antiseptic for perioperative use in oral surgery. The expert panel recommends CHX+CPC combination formulations (e.g., 0.12% CHX+0.05% CPC) as an alternative perioperative antiseptic option, offering comparable antimicrobial efficacy with an improved tolerability profile relative to CHX monotherapy. Individualised, risk-stratified protocols, which account for procedural complexity, patient comorbidities, and antiseptic tolerability, are recommended to optimise clinical outcomes while minimising adverse effects.