The COVID-19 pandemic has caused more than 56 million cases and has taken over 1 million lives across the globe as of date (November 19, 2020).¹ This highly contagious viral disease is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Saliva is a potential route of transmission of COVID-19.^2,3 Antiseptic mouthwashes have long been used prior to routine dental treatment. They can play a key role in decreasing the number of microorganisms in the oral cavity.⁴

The use of oral rinses is increasingly being advocated in order to reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission.^2,5 The American Dental Association (ADA) and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recommend the use of preprocedural mouthwashes prior to oral procedures.^6,7

From among the various mouth rinses available, povidone-iodine (PVP-I) seems to be a promising agent as it has been shown in previous studies to be effective against several viruses, such as SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and influenza virus A (H1N1).⁴ Additionally, its virucidal activity has been found to be higher than other commonly used agents, like chlorhexidine and benzalkonium chloride. It does not cause tooth or tongue discoloration or taste disturbances.⁴

Furthermore, a recent study has also shown PVP-I to be effective at inactivating SARS-CoV-2.8 PVP-I mouthwash has been shown to achieve ≥ 99.99% virucidal activity against this virus.⁹

Therefore, PVP-I mouthwash could be a potential agent in our fight against this new virus by reducing the risk of its transmission.

References

1. Available from: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/.
2. Peng X, Xu X, Li Y, et al. Transmission routes of 2019-nCoV and controls in dental practice. Int J Oral Sci. 2020;12:9.
3. Transmission of SARS-CoV-2: implications for infection prevention precautions. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/commentaries/detail/transmission-of-sars-cov-2-implications-for-infection-prevention-precautions.
4. Vergara-Buenaventura A, Castro-Ruiz C. Use of mouthwashes against COVID-19 in dentistry. Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2020 Oct; 58(8): 924–927.
5. Ather A, Patel B, Ruparel NB, et al. Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19): Implications for clinical dental care. J Endod. 2020;46(5):584–95.
6. ADA Interim Guidance for Minimizing Risk of COVID-19 Transmission. Available from: https://www.zerodonto.com/en/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/ADA_COVID_Int_Guidance_Treat_Pts.pdf.
7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Interim infection prevention and control guidance for dental settings during the COVID-19 response. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/dental-settings.html.
8. Bidra AS, Pelletier JS, Westover JB, et al. Rapid In-Vitro Inactivation of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Using Povidone-Iodine Oral Antiseptic Rinse. J Prosthodont. 2020 Jul;29(6):529-533.
9. Anderson DE, Sivalingam V, Kang AEZ, et al. Povidone-Iodine Demonstrates Rapid In Vitro Virucidal Activity Against SARS-CoV-2, The Virus Causing COVID-19 Disease. Infect Dis Ther. 2020 Sep;9(3):669-675.