Mouthwash ingredient shown to kill Covid-19

This week we woke up to a series of news articles (you can see a few of them here, here & here) about an exciting Covid-19 breakthrough. Scientists at Cardiff University have shown that mouthwash can kill Covid-19 in under 30 seconds! Being mouthwash manufacturers ourselves we raced to check out the finer details and that’s what we’re breaking down for you today.

The Coronavirus-killing ingredient

The first thing we wanted to know was the active ingredient that was doing all the work, in this case the mouthwash contained a chemical called Cetylpyridinium Chloride (CPC for short). CPC is not currently used in GAP products, but it is an effective antiseptic found in some mouthwashes for protection against bad breath, gum disease and plaque. Unfortunately, CPC can also have the added side effect of staining people’s teeth. As much as we like clean white teeth, I’m sure many of us would probably put up with a bit of discolouration if it meant we didn’t need to worry about Covid-19!

The lab conditions

Rather than testing the mouthwash on an infected person, Cardiff University replicated oral conditions and then applied different mouthwash types. While the CPC mouthwash worked in this case, we can’t yet be sure that it would work in real-life and it’s not clear whether the mouthwash would prevent person-to-person transmission which is what really needs to happen if we want to end this cycle of locking down.

The good news

Stained teeth and continued viral-transmission aside, this is still potentially positive news. If CPC mouthwash reduces the viral load (how much of the virus is being produced) in infected patients it could result in milder symptoms and faster recovery. Plus, using mouthwash as part of your daily routine is very good for your oral health anyway as any dentist can tell you!

MGS Mouthwash Tablets

At present our Dr Denti mouthwash tablets do not use CPC but we’ll be paying close attention to the Coronavirus studies and their results. In the meantime, we strongly suggest everyone uses a mouth wash to guard against common dental issues like bad breath, tooth decay and gum disease. Our popular MGS Mouthwash Tablets come in a range of flavours and are packed in a convenient little tube so they’re easy to carry, store and then dissolve into water to use as needed. For more information on our range of Dr Denti products drop us an email at info@gapdental.com or call us on 01474 560 618.Paragraph