Toothbrushing with a dentifrice containing antimicrobial phthalocyanine derivative for the intraoral reduction of viral load of SARS-CoV-2: a pilot study

Abstract Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the toothbrushing with a dentifrice containing antimicrobial phthalocyanine derivative (APD) for the intraoral reduction of viral load of SARS-CoV-2.Material and methods: Twenty COVID-19 positive dentate patients were selected and toothbrushes with a dentifrice containing APD for 2 minutes. Self-collected samples of unstimulated saliva were carried out three times: T0 (baseline, before toothbrushing), T5 (5 minutes after toothbrushing), and T30 (30 minutes after toothbrushing). The analysis of RNA viral was performed by RT-PCR using TaqPath™ COVID-19 multiplex Real-Time RT-PCR test for detection of three viral genes (ORF1ab, N and S genes). Evaluation of the effects was based on difference in cycle threshold (Ct) value. Friedman's test and pairwise comparison with Bonferroni corrections were used, with a significance level of 5%. Results: The Ct values were significantly higher (p=0.020) at T30 in comparison to T0 and T5. The greatest difference in the Ct values was between T30 and T0 (3.83). Conclusion: This pilot study suggests that oral hygiene action associated with an antimicrobial chemical dentifrice may be an important tool for SARS-CoV2 viral load reduction in oral cavity.