[Chlorhexidine varnishes in dentistry].

Since the discovery of chlorhexidine as a potential surface antiseptic in the fifties, it has been abundantly used in different kinds of dental pharmaceutics. During the past decade chlorhexidine containing varnishes have been added to this list. These products present several advantages in comparison to the existing chlorhexidine formulations. Varnishes should be considered as further options for prevention of fissure and approximal caries, possibly in combination with already established methods. For patients at high risk for root surface caries, varnish application might be a meaningful preventive and therapeutic approach. In this paper, the existing literature on the use of two different chlorhexidine varnishes (Cervitec and EC40) in different fields in dentistry will be reviewed.