Objectives: To determine the delivery of effective concentrations of chlorhexidine in controlled release for prolonged periods of time using a novel hydrogelic system. Methods: In the present study, the temperature sensitivity of hydrogel synthesized from hydrophilic ethylene glycol vinyl ether and hydrophobic butyl vinyl ether in the presence of crosslinking agent, diethylene glycol divinyl ether, was determined by using swelling studies and equilibrium water content (EWC) values were calculated from swelling kinetics of gels. In the studies, gel samples in the disc form (diameter=10 mm and height= 1.5 mm) were used. The temperature sensitive hydrogels were loaded with chlorhexidine. The loading amount was 35.46 mg per gram dry gel. Chlorhexidine release was examined as short-term (24 hours) and long-term (27 days) by UV spectrophotometer. In order to determine the effectiveness of the drug release, microbial studies were carried out by micro-dilution method. Minimum inhibitory concentration values for the pathogens of Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus casei were determined. Results: The results showed that EWC values of gels decrease with increasing temperature and swelling process obeys Fick diffusion mechanism. Long-term chlorhexidine release is initially very fast. After that, the drug release reaches a slow but a steady rate. Such a release pattern provides an effective drug release. Conclusion: It was concluded that chlorhexidine release had fitted Fick mechanism as a result of mathematical analysis of the release kinetics. Also it has been shown that the device is effective to inhibit the growth of the pathogens.

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