A recent article published in Dental Tribune International, a trade publication for dentists, mentions how a couple parts of your normal daily oral hygiene may aid efforts to cut down on the transmission of COVID-19. The article describes a study conducted in a partnership between Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and Colgate-Palmolive that examined how effective certain dental products were at neutralizing the coronavirus. What they discovered was that two common things many people use every day, sometimes more than once, may be playing a small but profound role in reducing COVID-19 cases.
How Brushing and Mouthwash Can Protect You from More than Stinky Breath
The article in Dental Tribune International quotes Dr. Maria Ryan, Colgate-Palmolive’s chief dental officer, as saying, “Given that saliva can contain amounts of the virus that are comparable to that found in the nose and throat, it seems likely that SARS-CoV-2 virus originating in the mouth contributes to disease transmission, especially in persons with asymptomatic COVID-19 who are not coughing.”
Since it’s known that accumulation of the coronavirus in the mouth is one of the ways the virus is transmitted, good oral hygiene during this pandemic is even more important. The study examined this by measuring how quickly and how effectively the virus could be neutralized with regular dental products. It found that the coronavirus could be killed with a 99.9% success rate within two minutes after contact with toothpaste. Mouthwashes were just as effective after only 30 seconds.
Every Little Bit Helps
Scientists and public health officials believe every little bit, from PPE to masks to reducing the probability of different types of transmission, helps right now in the fight against COVID-19. In Dental Tribune’s article, Dr. Ryan says, “This suggests that reducing the virus in the mouth could help prevent transmission during the time that oral care products are active.” This is just one more little way we can keep our mouth free of decay and disease and also contribute to greater public health.
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