Role of mouthwashes in combating SARS-COV 2 COVID-19 virus: Assessment of the knowledge of Middle Eastern Dentists

Background: Mouthwashes are deemed an effective measure in mitigating the risk of coronavirus contraction in dental clinics through limiting aerosol spread during procedures. This study aimed to evaluate the attitude, knowledge, and practices of Middle Eastern dental professionals regarding the use of mouthwash for combatting the coronavirus. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted online between the 1st and 15th of September 2021 where a random sample of dental practitioners were enrolled from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, UAE, Egypt, Turkey, Bahrain, and Kuwait. The survey included questions about the participants' demographics, degree of knowledge and use of mouthwashes for coronavirus. Results: Of the 880 participants filling the questionnaire, the majority were males 500 (56.8%), consultants 324 (36.8%), and based in Egypt 224 (25.5%). Only 5.6% of the enrolled dental practitioners were conscious of the presence of more than four types of medicated mouthwashes. Almost 86% of the participants were unknowledgeable of the benefit of mouthwashes for COVID 19, with an approximately similar percentage (83.2%) of dentists believing that the current literature is deficient. Notably, more than two-thirds of the dentists had a negative attitude towards the role of mouthwashes in disrupting the coronavirus. Also, 43.2% of the participants had a wrong perception of the superiority of chlorhexidine in eradicating the virus as compared to other rinses. Conclusion: Dental professionals based in the Middle East have inadequate knowledge and a negative perception of the role of mouthwashes in minimizing cross-transmission of coronavirus between dentists and patients in dental clinics.