Efficacy of Combining an Extraoral High-Volume Evacuator with Preprocedural Mouth Rinsing in Reducing Aerosol Contamination Produced by Ultrasonic Scaling.

The coronavirus disease pandemic has afforded dental professionals an opportunity to reconsider infection control during treatment. We investigated the efficacy of combining extraoral high-volume evacuators (eHVEs) with preprocedural mouth rinsing in reducing aerosol contamination by ultrasonic scalers. A double-masked, two-group, crossover randomized clinical trial was conducted over eight weeks. A total of 10 healthy subjects were divided into two groups; they received 0.5% povidone-iodine (PI), essential oil (EO), or water as preprocedural rinse. Aerosols produced during ultrasonic scaling were collected from the chest area (PC), dentist's mask, dentist's chest area (DC), bracket table, and assistant's area. Bacterial contamination was assessed using colony counting and adenosine triphosphate assays. With the eHVE 10 cm away from the mouth, bacterial contamination by aerosols was negligible. With the eHVE 20 cm away, more dental aerosols containing bacteria were detected at the DC and PC. Mouth rinsing decreased viable bacterial count by 31-38% (PI) and 22-33% (EO), compared with no rinsing. The eHVE prevents bacterial contamination when close to the patient's mouth. Preprocedural mouth rinsing can reduce bacterial contamination where the eHVE is positioned away from the mouth, depending on the procedure. Combining an eHVE with preprocedural mouth rinsing can reduce bacterial contamination in dental offices.

Impact of Oral Rinsing with Octenidine Based Solution on SARS-CoV-2 Loads in Saliva of Infected Patients an Exploratory Study.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, the in-vivo effect of an antiseptic mouth rinse with Octenisept plus phenoxyethanol (OCT + PE) on the oral SARS-CoV-2 load was investigated. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In eight COVID-19 patients, saliva samples were obtained before mouth rinsing and at five time points post rinsing with OCT + PE (n = 47 saliva samples in total). SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected and quantified by RT-qPCR and virus isolation in cell culture was performed to assess for infectivity. RESULTS: Immediately after mouth rinsing (1 min), a significant reduction of the SARS-CoV-2 RNA loads in saliva was achieved (p = 0.03) with 7/8 participants having SARS-CoV-2 RNA levels undetectable by RT-qPCR. At later time points, RNA levels returned to baseline levels in all study participants. Infectivity of saliva samples was demonstrated by successful virus isolation from saliva samples collected at later time points. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights that saliva samples from COVID-19 patients are infectious and demonstrates that mouth rinsing with OCT + PE temporarily leads to a significant reduction of the SARS-CoV-2 load in saliva. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Mouth rinsing with OCT + PE could provide a simple, rapid, and efficient method for SARS-CoV-2 infection prevention, particularly in the field of dental and respiratory medicine.

Efficacy of Removing Bacteria and Organic Dirt from Hands-A Study Based on Bioluminescence Measurements for Evaluation of Hand Hygiene When Cooking.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of dirt removal (bacteria and organic matter) of several hand-cleaning procedures. The results from the hand hygiene experiment indicated that washing hands with warm water and soap for 20 s is the most effective method investigated when hands are either dirty or greasy. Even if not proper washing, rinsing under running water for 5 s is a cleaning procedure that may significantly reduce the probability of cross-contamination, as it removes 90% of the hands' dirt. Although less effective than water and soap, the usage of antibacterial wipes was significantly more effective than wet wipes, indicating that they are a better choice when water and soap are not available. The results of this study enable us to inform consumers about the effectiveness of hand-cleaning procedures applied in their homes when cooking. Moreover, it can make consumers understand why, during the COVID-19 pandemic, authorities recommended washing hands as a preventive measure of infection and using an anti-bacterial hand gel or wiping hands with an antimicrobial wipe if water and soap are not available.

Inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 through Treatment with the Mouth Rinsing Solutions ViruProX® and BacterX® Pro.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic effects daily dental work. Therefore, infection control measures are necessary to prevent infection of dental personnel during dental treatments. The use of a preprocedural mouth rinse with chlorhexidine (CHX), cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC), or hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) solution for 30-60 s may reduce the viral load and may protect the personnel in a dental practice. In the present study the virucidal effect of the mouth rinsing solutions ViruProX® with 0.05% CPC and 1.5% H2O2 and BacterX® pro containing 0.1% CHX, 0.05% CPC, and 0.005% sodium fluoride (F-) was investigated in vitro. The mouth rinsing solutions successfully inactivated infectious SARS-CoV-2 particles, the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), within 30 s. To determine the effective components, CHX, CPC, H2O2, and a combination of CHX and CPC, were tested against SARS-CoV-2 in addition. While a combination of CPC and CHX as well as CPC alone led to a significant reduction of infectious viral particles, H2O2 and CHX alone had no virucidal effect against SARS-CoV-2. It can be assumed that preprocedural rinsing of the mouth with ViruProX® or BacterX® pro will reduce the viral load in the oral cavity and could thus lower the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in dental practice.