Prophylactic Oral Rinse Usage Against Transmission of COVID 19 – A Comprehensive Review

The recent outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 has engulfed the entire global community, causing widespread public health concerns. Despite various attempts to control the disease’s spread, the epidemic continues to rise due to the community spread of the infection. The oral cavity has been suggested as a possible reservoir for Covid-19 transmission due to the close proximity to the patient during dental treatment, the high generation of aerosols, and the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in saliva. Pre procedural rinsing of mouthwashes have been widely used as a standard measure due to their ability to reduce the number of microorganisms in the oral cavity. Mouthwashes like chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX), cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC), povidone-iodine (PVP-I), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and certain herbal products can be suggested as a possible solution to reduce the viral load in the oral cavity. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive review on certain mouthwashes, their antiviral activity against Covid -19.