Even with mask and social distancing protocols in homes, your home bathroom could remain a potential COVID-19 transmission hot spot. This is because bathrooms are confined shared spaces where every house or family member comes to brush their teeth.
However, you can reduce the risk of cross contamination & viral transmission in your bathroom with the following oral health measures:
- Do not share the same toothbrush with another house member.
- Do not keep house members’ toothbrushes in the same container – store individually in a dry area with brush head up for faster drying.
- Do not share the same toothpaste tube to avoid cross contamination.
- Disinfect your toothbrush with anti-bacterial mouthwash before and after use. You can also keep your toothbrush soaked in mouthwash when not in use.
- Change your toothbrush every 3 months.
- Clean your tongue thoroughly – the tongue is an early hotspot for infection.
- Perform teeth brushing and interdental cleaning with proper techniques.
- Use cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) mouthwashes which can inhibit SARS-CoV-2 by 99.99%.
- Disinfect vanity, mirror and other “high-touch/breathed-on” bathroom surfaces.
- If your bathroom has a toilet, flush with lid down and disinfect. Use extractor fans to clear air.
Reference:
González-Olmo, M., Delgado-Ramos, B., Ruiz-Guillén, A., Romero-Maroto, M. and Carrillo-Díaz, M., 2020. Oral hygiene habits and possible transmission of COVID-19 among cohabitants. BMC Oral Health, 20(1).
Link to study:
https://bmcoralhealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12903-020-01274-5
