COVID Pandemic started as a cluster of cases of respiratory illness has swept one million lives globally. The high transmission potential has put atypical challenges to infection management procedures all around while still battling with the unfolding of crisis as the virus has entered the human ecosystem. Dentistry is none the less altogether completely different in getting the adverse effects as oral cavity is acting as a potential reservoir of virus with the tongue mucosa to be the main expression site [1] and because of inescapable aerosols generating procedures.
Solution
Gargling with an antiseptic can cut back the viral load in the throat by breaking the chain of infection. Rinses like chlorhexidine gluconate, ethanol, essential oils, povidone-iodine (PVP-I), hydrogen peroxide chlorinated water, hypertonic saline, bioflavonoids, cyclodextrins, cetylpyridinium chloride are suggested, amongst which WHO listed Povidone-iodine (PVP-1) as an essential medicine making it available in every developed and non-developed nation [2] as it encompasses a virucidal effect against SARS-CoV-2 in barely 15 seconds [3], [4], [5]. The universal spectrum of antimicrobial activity, quicker onset of action, additional persistent results and lack of choice of bacterial resistance [5] are features that provide PVP-I with a grip over alternative accessible antiseptics.
Till the time, we don’t find a solution for reducing this deadly virus in the aerosols of dental procedures, PVP-1 may be used as an adjunctive in mitigating microorganism transmission beside personal protection and focusing on the patient positioning [4], [6].
Declaration of Competing Interest
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
References
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