An international summit of experts, held in Madrid, has presented practical recommendations and indications for the use of antiseptics. The panel has also highlighted the solid scientific evidence currently available.

The latest scientific and clinical evidence, systematic reviews of studies, and reference guides for dental professionals all support the efficacy and value of antiseptics as a complement to daily oral hygiene, and their use is considered a part of the prevention and treatment of periodontal diseases.

The Clinical Practice Guidelines for the treatment of periodontitis and the conclusions of the XI Periodontology Workshop of the European Federation of Periodontology provide recommendations and indications for the use of antiseptics in the prevention and treatment of periodontal diseases. However, these recommendations are sometimes complex or inaccessible to the oral health team, which may limit the use of these resources that have proven clinical efficacy.

Faced with this situation, led by the vice president of SEPA, Paula Matesanz, a distinguished and select group of experts are meeting on April 5, 2024, at the Casa de las Encías in Madrid, the headquarters of the SEPA Foundation, to share their knowledge, thoroughly analyse the scientific literature, and evaluate the recommendations of the prevailing international guidelines to try to draw general conclusions, with the aim of clarifying the role of mouthwashes in oral hygiene and the treatment of gingivitis and the prevention of periodontitis.

This meeting is part of the activities derived from the 2023-2025 strategic global agreement between the SEPA Foundation and Listerine, who have joined forces in the ‘Principles for Oral Health’ prevention and awareness initiative, which aims to guarantee access for oral health professionals to the fundamentals of primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention of periodontitis. Within this cooperation framework is the first project, called ‘Essentials’, to specifically reflect on the efficacy and value of clinically tested antiseptics and antibacterial mouthwashes included in the systematic reviews of the European Federation of Periodontology (EFP S3) and simplify the relevant conclusions on their current use as well as their adjunctive role in controlling dental biofilm.

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