After weeks of staying home, businesses are beginning to reopen their doors, including your dentist in Melbourne. Although dental offices are already some of the cleanest places, your dentist has revamped their safety protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19. You’ll notice several changes next time you are at the dentist, like using a mouthrinse before your appointment. This new procedure isn’t to give you minty fresh breath. Instead, it can play a role in combating coronavirus.
Can Mouthwash Kill COVID-19?
There’s still much to learn about COVID-19; however, researchers are discovering more about the virus each day. A crucial find involved the replication and transmission of the virus in the early stages from the throat and salivary glands. As a result, it’s natural to wonder if mouthwash can have any effect on killing COVID-19 since it’s an “enveloped virus?” This means it has an outer lipid membrane that’s created from the host cell where it forms.
Mouthrinses contain several ingredients, including ethanol, povidone-iodine and cetylpyridinium. Previous research has found certain ingredients to interact with the membranes to target lipids in similar enveloped viruses.
Although few studies have been conducted to determine the effect the ingredients can have on COVID-19, there is evidence mouthrinse can temporarily kill harmful pathogens in the mouth, like coronavirus.
Why is My Dentist Asking Me to Rinse?
It’s common to be asked to brush and floss your teeth after entering the clinical area of the dental office. Rinsing before your appointment is also now the standard protocol before interacting with your dental team. While mouthwash cannot treat the virus or shorten your recovery, it can neutralize the virus in your mouth for a few minutes. This creates a safer environment for your dental team to reduce the risk of spreading the virus, even if you’re asymptomatic.
Don’t worry, your dentist and their team are taking additional measures to protect you from any cross-contamination, like wearing personal protective equipment, wearing face shields, and using plastic barriers when necessary. Your dentist has also implemented several social distancing standards and has increased their cleaning and disinfecting policy to ensure the office is the cleanest place you visit all day.
Choose a Higher Standard of Care
As the country reopens, you can visit your dentist again without worrying about the risk of COVID-19. With updated safety standards, including using a mouthrise, we can all work together to help stop the spread of the virus.
About Dr. Beverly Rose
Dr. Beverly Rose earned her doctorate in dental medicine from the University of Florida College of Dentistry and continued her training at the prestigious Las Vegas Institute. She has completed extensive post-graduate training to provide modern services that exceed your expectations. Dr. Rose has revamped her safety protocols to keep patients and staff safe amid the COVID-19 pandemic. If you have any questions about our safety standards, or you need to schedule an appointment, contact our office today to speak with a member of our team.