The saliva of patients with COVID-19 has a high SARS-CoV-2 viral load. The risk of spreading the virus is high, and procedures for viral load reduction in the oral cavity are important. Little research to date has been performed on the effect of mouthwashes on the salivary SARS-CoV-2 viral load. This pilot randomized single-center clinical trial investigated whether three types of mouthwash with solutions containing either 0.075% cetylpyridinium chloride plus 0.28% zinc lactate (CPC þ Zn), 1.5% hydrogen peroxide (HP), or 0.12% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX) reduce the SARS-CoV-2 viral load in saliva at different time points. Sixty SARS-CoV-2-positive patients were recruited and randomly partitioned into a placebo (oral rinsing with distilled water) group and other groups according to the type of mouthwash. Saliva samples were collected from the participants before rinsing (T0), immediately after rinsing (T1), 30 min after rinsing (T2), and 60 min after rinsing (T3). The salivary SARS-CoV-2 viral load was measured by qRT-PCR assays. Rinsing with HP and CPC þ Zn resulted in better reductions in viral load, with 15.8 AE 0.08-and 20.4 AE 3.7-fold reductions at T1, respectively. Although the CPC þ Zn group maintained a 2.6 AE 0.1-fold reduction at T3, this trend was not observed for HP. HP mouthwash resulted in a significant reduction in the SARS-CoV-2 viral load up to 30 min after rinsing (6.5 AE 3.4). The CHX mouthwash significantly reduced the viral load at T1, T2, and T3 (2.1 AE 1.5-, 6.2 AE 3.8-, and 4.2 AE 2.4-fold reductions, respectively). In conclusion, mouthwash with CPC þ Zinc and CHX resulted in significant reductions of the SARS-CoV-2 viral load in saliva up to 60 mins after rinsing, while HP mouthwash resulted in a significant reduction up to 30 mins after rinsing. Despite this transitory effect, these results encourage further studies and suggest that these products could be considered as risk-mitigation strategies for patients infected with SARS-CoV-2.

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the effect of different forms of periodontal diseases on Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL). Fifty-two patients with Aggressive Periodontitis (AP) or Chronic Periodontitis (CP) were included: nine patients with Localized Aggressive Periodontitis (LAP), thirty-three patients with Generalized Aggressive Periodontitis (GAP) and ten patients with Generalized Chronic Periodontitis (GCP). Oral Health Impact Profile questionnaires (OHIP-14) were distributed after a clinical examination that measured the following periodontal parameters: tooth loss, bleeding on probing (BoP), probing depth (PD), gingival recession (REC) and clinical attachment level (CAL). The global OHIP-14 score means were 10.6 for LAP, 16.5 for GAP, and 17.5 for GCP. A statistically significant difference (p < 0.01) was observed between the LAP group and the other two groups. There was significantly less bleeding and recession in the LAP group than in the patients with the generalized forms of periodontitis. LAP, GAP and GCP have an impact on patient quality of life when measured using the OHIP-14. Patients with GAP and GCP had poorer OHRQoL than LAP patients.

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Civic service appears to be a global phenomenon. The growth of service may warrant a distinct field of study in which a comparative knowledge base could inform development and implementation of policies and programs. In this article, the authors summarize results of a global assessment of civic service. Searching by country and using information from organizational memberships, publications, and the Internet, 210 civic service programs were identified in 57 countries. This study has many limitations, raising more questions than it answers. Nonetheless, it is the first worldwide empirical glimpse of service, shedding light on several key questions: What are the current status and forms of civic service? What are its structures, goals, and effects? This introductory article of the special issue frames these questions for consideration by the authors, who identify historical and cultural determinants, forms, and mediators of civic service in different regions of the world.

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