Chlorhexidine

Category: topical

Aliases: Peridex, Hibiclens

Pharmacological Mechanism

Cationic biguanide antiseptic — disrupts bacterial cell membranes; strongly binds oral mucosa and dental pellicle giving ≥12h sustained activity. Oral rinse for periodontitis + post-surgical dental hygiene; surgical scrub formulation. Mild reversible tooth staining at chronic use.

Half-Life (t½)

TD: 12h

Dosing Guidelines

• TD: Typical 18 mg (Range: 6–25 mg)

Target Organ Systems

• integumentary

Pathways It Modulates

• Skin antimicrobial + antiparasitic topicals (inhibitor) — bacterial membrane (broad-spectrum antiseptic)

Chemical Identifiers

• PubChem CID: 9552079
• Formula: C22H30Cl2N10
• Molecular weight: 505.45 g/mol
• InChIKey: GHXZTYHSJHQHIJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N
• SMILES: C1=CC(=CC=C1N/C(=N/C(=NCCCCCCN=C(/N=C(/NC2=CC=C(C=C2)Cl)\N)N)N)/N)Cl