How Oral Care Products May be Affecting Our Response to COVID-19
By: Dr. Amy Dukoff
Would you walk out in the pouring rain without an umbrella or a rain coat? Creating physical barriers protect us in a storm. Likewise, do you put a bandage an open wound? Physical barrier protect wounds from infections. Similarly, in the oral cavity, enhancing our the tissues’ condition and having our saliva function effectively create natural barriers that protect the oral structures from becoming infected with SARS-.CoV-2. Because oral care products influence the environment of the oral cavity, I believe more attention should be given to the selection and recommendation for the oral care products used when an individual is in quarantine, test positive, or is a
long hauler.
Oral barriers, saliva and mucous tissues, prevent the SARS-CoV-2 virus from infecting oral tissues, is essential. Changes in the saliva’s composition and salivary gland dysfunction create an oral environment at risk for oral diseases . For example, Xerostomia, dry mouth, appear in 1 about 60% of the COVID-19 infections . Since dry mouth is a common symptom of COVID-19. When the saliva is lacking, the oral tissues become vulnerable to infection. Therefore, treatment of dry mouth may be an effective in combating COVID-19 disease outcomes as it improves oral health . For individuals infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, I believe, it is important for us to recommend to our patients the appropriate oral care products for dry mouth which does not aggravate other symptoms or negatively affect oral tissues. It is just as important for out patients to know what to avoid during dry mouth symptoms as knowing what to use. Similarly, oral care products that can cause dry mouth should be avoided as dry mouth is known to increase the risk of having mouth infections.
1 Lynge Pedersen AM, Belstrøm D. The role of natural salivary defences in maintaining a healthy oral microbiota. J Dent. 2019 Jan;80 Suppl 1:S3-S12. doi: 10.1016/j.jdent.2018.08.010.PMID: 30696553.
2 Fathi, Yaser et al. !Xerostomia (dry mouth) in patients with COVID-19: a case series.” Future Virology (2021): 10.2217/fvl-2020-0334. doi:10.2217/fvl-2020-0334
3 Iranmanesh B, Khalili M, Amiri R, Zartab H, Aflatoonian M. Oral manifestations of COVID-19 disease: A review article. Dermatol Ther. 2021 Jan;34(1):e14578. doi: 10.1111/dth.14578. Epub 2020 Dec 13. PMID: 33236823; PMCID: PMC7744903.
4 Fathi, Yaser et al. !Xerostomia (dry mouth) in patients with COVID-19: a case series.” Future Virology (2021): 10.2217/fvl-2020-0334. doi:10.2217/fvl-2020-0334
What oral products should we recommend for our patients? Recommendations would vary among individuals. Firstly, mouthwashes with alcohol should be avoided as alcohol can be drying and should be avoided with burning tongue( another symptoms of COVID-19). Secondly, sodium lauryl sulfate is recommended to be avoided with dry mouth, mouth ulcers and/or white tongue are present. Thirdly, as per the Mayo Clinic, whitening toothpastes should be avoided with dry mouth. It is hard for the consumer to find the right product on their own. I believe it is imperative that dentist take a large role during they COVID-19 health care crisis, Having the dentist recommend the right oral care product that we essential in controlling these infections. Oral care products function to enhance the effectiveness of the innate physical barriers of the oral environment against oral diseases.