Sir, there is a commercially available mouthwash containing 1.5% effective hydrogen peroxide on the market (Peroxyl, Colgate-Palmolive Ltd) which is above the recommended 0.5% concentration required to be virucidal to coronavirus.1 It may therefore be worth recommending the routine use of such a mouthwash pre-operatively when dental treatment is to be delivered as urgent care, so any subsequent droplet contamination from the oropharyngeal complex can be rendered potentially less infective.
Following a specific study on droplet contamination on surfaces by COVID-19 with various dental procedures, it may also substantially modify or reduce the decontamination time between patients and render the working environment for our professionals safer.
Reference
Romesh A, Thomas J T, Muraliharan N P, Vargese S S. Efficacy of adjunctive use of hydrogen peroxide with chlorhexidine as a procedural mouthwash on dental aerosol. Nat J Physiology, Pharmacy Pharmacology 2015; 5: 431-435.
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Saravanamuttu, R. Hydrogen peroxide mouthwash. Br Dent J 228, 734 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-020-1643-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-020-1643-2
