Effectiveness of mouthwash against viruses: 2020 perspective. A systematic review

source extracted confidence: high 2026-04-09
#anti-infective-agents-local #humans #mouthwashes #oral-health #povidone-iodine

Effectiveness of mouthwash against viruses: 2020 perspective. A systematic review

Verma et al., 2021 | Minerva Dent Oral Sci | Systematic Review

Citation

Verma Santosh K, Dev Kumar Barun, ... Dubey Deepyanti. Effectiveness of mouthwash against viruses: 2020 perspective. A systematic review. Minerva Dent Oral Sci. 2021-Oct;70(5):206-213. doi:10.23736/S2724-6329.21.04418-6

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Antiseptic mouthwash is widely recommended to treat various oral diseases as well as to improve oral health. Most of the dental procedures lead to the generation of aerosols. These aerosols have a high potential to transmit disease. Preprocedural oral rinse with antimicrobial agents in the form of mouthwashes reduces the bacterial and viral load many folds. The purpose of this review was to summarize the effectiveness of mouthwash against viruses affecting human beings. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: Search engines like PubMed, Google Scholar, and others were used to search the electronic database. Articles were identified in which the effectiveness of antiseptic mouth rinse against the virus was tested. A comprehensive search strategy was designed to select the articles and then independently screened for eligibility. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: A total of 9624 articles out of the 13 titles met the eligibility criteria. The selected papers were included in the present manuscript according to their relevance to the topic. Authors searched the most used chemicals as mouthwashes but records of three types of mouthwash tested against various types of viruses i.e. chlorhexidine gluconate, Povidone-iodine and essential oil containing mouthwash (Listerine) were found. CONCLUSIONS: Povidone-iodine mouth rinse is effective in reducing viral load either in-vitro or in-vivo conditions. Chlorhexidine gluconate mouthwash and essential oils have shown its effectiveness in a few studies. Insufficient evidence is available to support the claim that oral antiseptics can reduce the risk of developing viral loads in humans or the rate of progression of diseases caused by viruses.

Key Findings

Povidone-iodine mouth rinse is effective in reducing viral load either in-vitro or in-vivo conditions. Chlorhexidine gluconate mouthwash and essential oils have shown its effectiveness in a few studies. Insufficient evidence is available to support the claim that oral antiseptics can reduce the risk of developing viral loads in humans or the rate of progression of diseases caused by viruses.

Outcomes Measured

  • Requires manual extraction

Population

Field Value
Population See abstract
Sample Size See abstract
Age Range See abstract
Condition See abstract

MeSH Terms

  • Anti-Infective Agents, Local
  • Humans
  • Mouthwashes
  • Oral Health
  • Povidone-Iodine
  • Viruses

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Systematic Review
  • Publication Types: Journal Article, Systematic Review
  • Vertical: iodine

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09