Top

BMC Oral Health

Published in:

01-12-2020 | Coronavirus | Research article

Oral hygiene habits and possible transmission of COVID-19 among cohabitants

Authors: María José González-Olmo, Bendición Delgado-Ramos, Ana Ruiz-Guillén, Martín Romero-Maroto, María Carrillo-Díaz

Published in: BMC Oral Health | Issue 1/2020

Abstract

Background

To find out whether misuse of dental hygiene, in terms of certain dental habits, may facilitate the spread of COVID-19 among cohabiting individuals.

Methods

302 COVID-19 infected (PCR +) subjects cohabiting with someone else at home were selected for an observational cross-sectional study. An anonymous online questionnaire was developed using Google forms to avoid person-to-person contact. The structured questionnaire consisted of questions covering several areas: sociodemographic data, cross transmission to another person living together, oral hygiene habits during confinement, care and disinfection control behaviours in the dental environment like sharing toothbrush, sharing toothbrush container, sharing toothpaste, placing brush vertically, placing cap with hole for brush, disinfecting brush with bleach, closing toilet lid before flushing.

Results

Tongue brushing was more used in the group where there was no transmission of the disease to other members (p < 0.05). Significant differences were found for shared toothbrush use (p < 0.05), although shared use was a minority in this group (4. 7%), significant differences were also found for the use of the same container (p < 0.01), shared use of toothpaste (p < 0.01), toothbrush disinfection with bleach (p < 0.01), brush change after PCR + (p < 0.05). The women performed significantly more disinfection with toothbrush bleach (p < 0.01), closing the toilet lid (p < 0.05) and changing the brush after PCR + (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

The use of inappropriate measures in the dental environment could contribute to the indirect transmission of COVID-19 between cohabitants.

Available only for authorised users

Abduljalil JM, Abduljalil BM. Epidemiology, genome, and clinical features of the pandemic SARS-CoV-2: a recent view. New Microbes New Infect. 2020;35:100672. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nmni.2020.100672.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Belser JA, Rota PA, Tumpey TM. Ocular tropism of respiratory viruses. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev. 2013;77:144–56. https://doi.org/10.1128/MMBR.00058-12.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

To KK-W, Tsang OT-Y, Chik-Yan Yip C, Chan K-H, Wu T-C, Chan JMC, et al. Consistent detection of 2019 novel coronavirus in saliva. Clin Infect Dis. 2020. https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciaa149.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Guarner J. Three emerging coronaviruses in two decades. Am J Clin Pathol. 2020;153:420–1. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcp/aqaa029.CrossRefPubMed

Liu L, Wei Q, Alvarez X, Wang H, Du Y, Zhu H, et al. Epithelial cells lining salivary gland ducts are early target cells of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus infection in the upper respiratory tracts of rhesus macaques. J Virol. 2011;85:4025–30. https://doi.org/10.1128/JVI.02292-10.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Peng X, Xu X, Li Y, Cheng L, Zhou X, Ren B. Transmission routes of 2019-nCoV and controls in dental practice. Int J Oral Sci. 2020;12:9. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41368-020-0075-9.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Chen N, Zhou M, Dong X, Qu J, Gong F, Han Y, et al. Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 99 cases of 2019 novel coronavirus pneumonia in Wuhan, China: a descriptive study. Lancet. 2020;395:507–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30211-7.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Wang WK, Chen SY, Liu IJ, Chen YC, Chen HL, Yang CF, et al. Detection of SARS-associated coronavirus in throat wash and saliva in early diagnosis. Emerg Infect Dis. 2004;10:1213–9. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid1007.031113.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Sammons RL, Kaur D, Neal P. Bacterial survival and biofilm formation on conventional and antibacterial toothbrushes. Biofilms. 2004;1:123–30. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1479050504001334.CrossRef

10.

Spolidorio D, Tardivo T, dos Reis DJ, Neppelenbroek K, Duque C, Spolidorio L, et al. Evaluation of two alternative methods for disinfection of toothbrushes and tongue scrapers. Int J Dent Hyg. 2011;9:279–83. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1601-5037.2011.00503.x.CrossRefPubMed

11.

Li ZY, Meng LY. The prevention and control of a new coronavirus infection in department of stomatology. Zhonghua Kou Qiang Yi Xue Za Zhi. 2020;55:E001. https://doi.org/10.3760/cma.j.issn.1002-0098.2020.0001.CrossRefPubMed

12.

Medrano-Félix A, Martínez C, Castro-Del Campo N, León-Félix J, Peraza-Garay F, Gerba CP, et al. Impact of prescribed cleaning and disinfectant use on microbial contamination in the home. J Appl Microbiol. 2011;110:463–71. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2672.2010.04901.x.CrossRefPubMed

13.

Keshav V, Kruger CA, Mathee A, Naicker N, Swart A, Barnard TGE. coli from dishcloths as an indicator of hygienic status in households. J Water Sanit Hyg Dev. 2015;5:351–8.CrossRef

14.

Maillard JY, Bloomfield SF, Courvalin P, Essack SY, Gandra S, Gerba CP, et al. Reducing antibiotic prescribing and addressing the global problem of antibiotic resistance by targeted hygiene in the home and everyday life settings: a position paper. Am J Infect Control. 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2020.04.011.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

15.

Verani M, Bigazzi R, Carducci A. Viral contamination of aerosol and surfaces through toilet use in health care and other settings. Am J Infect Control. 2014;42:758–62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2014.03.026.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

16.

Barker J, Jones MV. The potential spread of infection caused by aerosol contamination of surfaces after flushing a domestic toilet. J Appl Microbiol. 2005;99:339–47. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2672.2005.02610.x.CrossRefPubMed

17.

Zhang J, Wang S, Xue Y. Fecal specimen diagnosis 2019 novel coronavirus–infected pneumonia. J Med Virol. 2020. https://doi.org/10.1002/jmv.25742.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

18.

Kampf G, Todt D, Pfaender S, Steinmann E. Persistence of coronaviruses on inanimate surfaces and their inactivation with biocidal agents. J Hosp Infect. 2020;104:246–51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2020.01.022.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

19.

Sogi SH, Subbareddy VV, Kiran SN. Contamination of toothbrush at different time intervals and effectiveness of various disinfecting solutions in reducing the contamination of toothbrush. J Indian Soc Pedod Prev Dent. 2002;20:81–5.PubMed

20.

Chan JF, Yuan S, Kok KH, To KKW, Chu H, Yang J, et al. A familial cluster of pneumonia associated with the 2019 novel coronavirus indicating person-to-person transmission: a study of a family cluster. Lancet. 2020;395:514–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30154-9.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

21.

Fisher D, Heymann D. Q&A: The novel coronavirus outbreak causing COVID-19. BMC Med. 2020;18:57. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-020-01533-w.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Title: Oral hygiene habits and possible transmission of COVID-19 among cohabitants
Authors: María José González-Olmo
Bendición Delgado-Ramos
Ana Ruiz-Guillén
Martín Romero-Maroto
María Carrillo-Díaz
Publication date: 01-12-2020
Publisher: BioMed Central
Keywords: Coronavirus
COVID-19
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Published in: BMC Oral Health / Issue 1/2020
Electronic ISSN: 1472-6831
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-020-01274-5

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Oral hygiene habits and possible transmission of COVID-19 among cohabitants

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 1/2020

Chemosensory dysfunction, Oral disorders and Oral health-related quality of life in patients with primary Sjögren’s syndrome: comparative cross-sectional study

Navigated Antral Bone Expansion (NABE): a prospective study on 35 patients with 4 months of follow-up post implant loading

A pilot study: a possible implication of Candida as an etiologically endogenous pathogen for oral lichen planus

Synovial sarcoma of the floor of the mouth: a rare case report

Label-free quantitative proteomic analysis of gingival crevicular fluid to identify potential early markers for root resorption

Oral impact on daily performance (OIDP) scale for use in Sri Lankan adolescents: a cross sectional modification and validation study