Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33058941›Full record

SynthesisThe Journal of hospital infection2020

Do hydrogen peroxide mouthwashes have a virucidal effect? A systematic review.

K L Ortega, B O Rech, G L C El Haje, C B Gallo, M Pérez-Sayáns, P H Braz-Silva

Open access · bronzeAbstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in The Journal of hospital infection, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
20citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
4.0field-weighted citation impact, top 5% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

20 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 47 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Trial
  4. Article
  5. Hydrogen Peroxide: A Ubiquitous Component of Beverages and Food.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025
    Review
  6. Article
  7. Review
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Oral Antiseptics against SARS-CoV-2: A Literature Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022
    Review
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Review
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Evaluation of Current Evidence on the Use of Oral Antiseptics Against SARS-CoV-2: A Narrative Review.Journal of International Society of Preventive & Community Dentistry
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

K L OrtegaDepartment of Stomatology, School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
B O RechDepartment of Stomatology, School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
G L C El HajeDepartment of Stomatology, School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
C B GalloDepartment of Stomatology, School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
M Pérez-SayánsOral Medicine Unit, Faculty of Dentistry, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela - Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
P H Braz-SilvaDepartment of Stomatology, School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Laboratory of Virology (LIM-52), Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: pbraz@usp.br.
Universidade de São Paulo · BRUniversidade de Santiago de Compostela · ES

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe presence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in saliva has alerted health professionals to the possibility of contamination by aerosols generated in a number of procedures. The indication of preoperative mouthwash containing 1% hydrogen peroxide for reducing the viral load of SARS-CoV-2 in saliva prior to oral procedures has been significantly disseminated through several citations and influenced various dental associations in the elaboration of dental care protocols during this pandemic period, including patients admitted to hospital wards and intensive care units.

aimTo Our aim was to perform a systematic review to answer the following question: does hydrogen peroxide mouthwash (at any concentration) have a virucidal effect?

methodsThe Cochrane, LILACS, PubMed, Scopus, and Embase databases were searched by using the following key-words: 'hydrogen peroxide', 'mouthwash', 'mouth rinse', 'rinse', 'oral rinse', 'mouth bath', 'mouth wash', and 'mouth washes'. Reviews, letters to the editor, personal opinions, book chapters, case reports, congress abstracts, studies with animals and studies on mouthwash containing other compounds other than hydrogen peroxide were excluded.

findingsDuring the initial search 1342 articles were identified on the five electronic databases. After excluding some duplicates, 976 articles remained. Only studies assessing the virucidal effect of hydrogen peroxide mouthwash were selected, regardless of publication date.

conclusionAfter reading titles and abstracts, no article met the eligibility criteria. In conclusion, there is no scientific evidence supporting the indication of hydrogen peroxide mouthwash for control of the viral load regarding SARS-CoV-2 or any other viruses in saliva.

Indexed as

AerosolsAnti-Infective Agents, LocalCOVID-19Health PersonnelHumansHydrogen PeroxideInfection ControlMouthwashesSalivaSARS-CoV-2Viral LoadAerosolsAnti-Infective Agents, LocalHydrogen PeroxideMouthwashesCoronavirusInfection controlMouthwashesSalivaViral loadViruses

Identifiers

PMID33058941
PMCPMC7548555
OpenAlexW3091929766

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.