Significance Of Oral Hygiene During And After The Pandemic 

Rohit Warrier – CEO and Founder, Warrier Safe Shields

Pune, 19th March 2021: The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about a sea change in how we humans look at well-being, never before have we embraced changes or dictates for healthier living so quickly. So much so it seems that social distancing, wearing masks and sanitizing, are an integral part of our daily lives. Being creatures of habit as the fear and the apprehension of the disease is receding, we are edging back to or old careless routines. This carelessness is today being attributed by most news channels as the reason for the recent spurt in cases.

Have we overlooked something here, something inadvertently ignored could be fuelling this infection surge?

An important factor that was discussed at the beginning of the pandemic but soon forgotten – Oral Hygiene. Campaigns were run on washing hands, wearing masks, testing masks, social distancing etc. but oral hygiene was somehow swept under the carpet. Oral Hygiene, unfortunately, affects the spread of the COVID pandemic but has a role to play in every illness caused by cross-contamination.

A recent study by German researchers tracked down that poor oral hygiene can lead to respiratory diseases and bacterial difficulties. Complexities of COVID-19 were seen among those with poor oral well-being and periodontal disease.

“We explored the connection between high bacterial load in the mouth and post-viral complications, and how improving oral health may reduce the risk of complications from COVID-19. Good oral hygiene has been recognized as a means to prevent airway infections in patients” stated the authors in the conclusion of the study.

The study focused on one part of oral hygiene, the health of your mouth – teeth, gums & tongue. It overlooked another aspect, being one that contracts possible diseases due to oral cross-contamination. We all battle with this but accept it as a way of life and invent our unique ways around it – the hygiene of sipping from a cup or glass in a public place.

Now think, how often have you had a glass/cup arrive at your table and you find fingerprints, lipstick stains or tea scum on its rim?

Additionally, researchers have found that even the most spotless restaurants are ridden with a wide range of microbes. The most well-known germ inclined areas are those that are touched or contacted the most. The rim of the glass falls under this category!

Innumerable people use the same glass/mug/cup to sip the beverage from it, it is smart to take extra prudent measures to prevent cross-contamination from it. The crockery’s washed in the automated dishwasher, while they clean but they do not sterilize the utensils.

A considerable lot of us believe the use of straws provides an alternative to contacting the rim with our lips. But have you ever considered the fickle journey straws have? While they may come smartly packaged but they still must be touched from exactly where you drink while putting it onto a glass filled with drink. Paper straws due to their natural property of absorbing moisture further enable harbouring germs while being stored in open containers for service.

Straws thus are not quite the right alternative!

So, what could be a better solution that could ensure a clean and hygiene beverage consumption experience every time you step out of home?

The right choice is to adopt using the recently introduced- Sippline, an innovative product, provides the perfect solution. Sippline acts as a cover for the glass rim. Specially designed to fit perfectly on the rim, it allows sipping of the beverage without stressing over spillages or cross-contamination.

Its medical-grade “no-touch till you open” sterilized packaging provides additional solace and security. It is not touched post sterilization until it is opened by the user for its use.

Hence it is clean and bacteria-free when you pull it out of the pack. Once you place it on the rim of the glass/ cup before sipping your drink you are assured of a hygienic experience by ensuring your mouth touches only a sterile surface while drinking.

A must addition to your step out of a home kit, maybe a little habit-changing but an effective pocket-friendly tool, both in size and price, to ensure you do not catch any infection when you step out for a drink with friends or family.

COVID has taught us change is the only constant, if that is the case then the time has come to change the way we look at hygiene and how we consume beverages when out of home!