Anti-Covid Effectiveness Of Mouthwash To Be Investigated
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- Published: Wednesday, 10 March 2021 07:43
- Written by Chris Tapper
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A clinical trial has been launched to test whether mouthwash can reduce a person’s risk of spreading coronavirus.
Although laboratory experiments have shown mouthwash can quickly kill coronaviruses, there’s no evidence yet available to show mouthwash can prevent the virus from infecting people.
The Adams School of Dentistry at the University of North Carolina is investigating how well mouthwash works to reduce the amount of coronavirus in the mouths of those with COVID-19, and if it can lessen the chance of spreading the virus to others, reports Medical Life Sciences News.
The focus of the research will be to find a way to lower the risk of coronavirus transmission in situations where masking and being more than six feet apart might not be an option. This will be particularly applicable to the situation occurring during dental procedures.
The clinical trial will test commercially available mouthwashes that contain common antiseptic ingredients such as cetylpyridinium chloride or ethanol.
"The study will allow us to determine which active ingredient in mouthwash has the most promise," Laura Jacox, Principal Investigator, told MLSNews.
“While we are excited about the bench top data, the true test is whether these mouthwashes have effect on saliva in patients’ mouths and whether a mouth rinse could reduce the risk of SARS-CoV2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) transmission through oral droplets."
Researchers will measure how much virus is found in saliva before and after using mouthwash according to the directions on the label. Samples will be collected and tested every 15 minutes, for up to an hour, to track how long any reduction in viral load and infectivity lasts.
Preliminary results of a study led by Adams School of Dentistry and the US National Institutes of Health showed the salivary glands, tongue and tonsils, in particular, are vulnerable to coronavirus infection.
If proven effective, researchers believe mouthwash could be a useful and simple tool in controlling the spread of COVID-19 at one of the body’s primary points of coronavirus entry and transmission.
Results of the trial are expected at the end of the year.
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