Saliva: What Dental Practitioners Should Know about the Role of This Biofluid in the Transmission and Diagnostic of SARS-CoV-2

COVID-19 Risk Management in Dental Offices: A Review Article

BACKGROUND: As all the dental staff, including nurses and practitioners, are exposed to various routes of contamination due to the novel COVID-19 virus, which is still unknown to the scientific world, developing strategies to reduce the risk of transmission and decontaminate surfaces in a dental office would be of high importance. Although there is still insufficient data on managing this virus in dental offices, several studies have suggested protocols for improving care. AIM: This study aimed to review present investigations and reach a conclusion on what we know and need to know to combat this virus. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this review, Scopus, PubMed, and MEDLINE databases were searched using the keywords “COVID-19,” “SARS-CoV-2,” “Medical Disinfectants,” “Personal Protective Equipment’s,” and “Surface Decontamination.” Articles were reviewed, and finally, relevant articles published during 2000–2022 were included in the final paper. RESULTS: The present research concluded that using a combination of the face shield and N95 masks protected the eyes, nose, and mouth. To have more efficient protection, water-resistant long-sleeved gowns and gloves were highly suggested. To overcome aerosols, high-performance air filters and ultraviolet were found quite effective. Allowing the patient to use antiseptic mouthwash before starting the treatment could reduce oral microorganisms and the following airborne contamination. CONCLUSION: This review has gathered all available data regarding dentistry and COVID-19 in order to conclude what has been achieved yet in the prevention of this virus through dental offices; however, more investigations are needed to have a definitive protocol against the virus.

Oral microbial taxa associated with risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection

Hypothesis and objective

The oral and digestive tract microbial ecosystem has sparked interest because of its impact on various systemic diseases and conditions. The oral cavity serves not only as a reservoir for many potentially virulent microbiota but also as an important entry point and portal to the human body system. This is especially significant in the transmissibility of the virulent current pandemic virus SARS-CoV-2. The oral and digestive microbiome influences the inflammatory burden and effectiveness of the immune system and serves as a marker of activity of these host processes. The host immune response plays a role in infection susceptibility, including SARS-CoV-2. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of specific salivary oral microbiome in susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Methods and results

One hundred six subjects of known medical and dental history who consented to provide saliva samples between January 2017 and December 2019 were included in this study. Sixteen had become COVID-19 positive based on the PCR test by 3/01/2021. A comparison of oral microbiome bacteria taxa profiles based on 16S rRNA sequencing revealed differences between the two groups in this pilot study.

Conclusions

These bacteria taxa may be markers of increased susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection in the unvaccinated population.