Virucidal Activity of Different Mouthwashes against the Salivary Load of SARS-CoV-2: A Narrative Review

Abstract

The saliva of COVID-19-confirmed patients presents a high viral load of the virus. Aerosols generated during medical and dental procedures can transport the virus and are a possible causative agent of cross-infection. Since the onset of the pandemic, numerous investigations have been at-tempting to mitigate the risk of transmission by reducing the viral load in saliva using preprocedural mouthwashes. This study aims to review the most up-to-date in vitro and in vivo studies investigat-ing the efficacy of different mouthwashes on reducing the salivary viral load of SARS-CoV-2, giving particular attention to the most recent randomized control trials published.