Use of povidone as a mouthrinse to decrease the viral load of Covid-19 before dental care: Review of the literature

To review the literature on the use of povidone prior to dental treatment for the reduction of viruses in the oral cavity.

PubMed and Cochrane databases published from January 2019 to June 2020 were reviewed. Studies that met the inclusion criteria were reviewed by two authors separately. A qualitative review of the data was performed.

There were no randomized controlled trials or clinical observation studies on the curative or preventive effect of povidone against COVID-19, but there are clinical trial protocols in the recruitment process. The use of a dose between 0.2% to 2.5% is recommended four times a day for 15-30 seconds.

Povidone mouthwash could be a viable solution before dental care that should be studied to reduce the viral load off COVID-19.