Here's How COVID-19 Can Affect Your Mouth

By Alan Mozes
HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 8, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- A mislaid oregon altered sense of taste, dry mouth and sores are communal among COVID-19 patients and those symptoms whitethorn past agelong aft others disappear, Brazilian researchers report.

Nearly 4 successful 10 COVID patients acquisition impaired sensation oregon full nonaccomplishment of taste, but adust rima affects adjacent much — up to 43%, according to their wide reappraisal of much than 180 published studies.

It looked astatine oral health symptoms successful astir 65,000 COVID patients astir the satellite — with immoderate predictable and besides immoderate astonishing results.

"Regarding COVID-19 patients specifically, the important connection is to support steadfast oral wellness habits during their unwellness if they are capable to bash so," said Dr. Edmond Hewlett, a spokesperson for the American Dental Association who reviewed the findings. "Dry rima importantly increases the hazard for tooth decay, truthful brushing doubly a time with a fluoridated toothpaste, flossing erstwhile a day, limiting snacking, and avoiding sugary foods and drinks are the champion ways to support their oral health."

By now, astir radical are alert that nonaccomplishment of odor and sensation are cardinal symptoms of corruption with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. But the probe reappraisal by a squad led by University of Brasilia researcher E.N.S. Guerra identified a fig of variations connected that theme.

Folks with COVID tin person a reduced consciousness of sensation (hypogueusia); a distorted consciousness of taste, successful which everything tastes sweet, sour, bitter oregon metallic (dysgeusia); oregon a full nonaccomplishment of each sensation (ageusia), according to the study.

For reasons that stay unclear, researchers recovered that these complications seemed to beryllium much communal among European COVID patients, affecting astir half. In comparison, a 3rd of American COVID patients and a 4th of Latin American patients reported the same.

Some COVID patients besides reported lesions connected oregon nether their tongue oregon on the gums and sides of the mouth, the survey found.

Hewlett said these complications are not unsocial to COVID-19 — and they don't hap to everyone. It's not clear, helium added, wherefore immoderate make oral occupation portion others bash not, but adjacent a mild corruption whitethorn impact immoderate grade of oral disruption, helium said.

Continued

And, Hewlett added, portion it's not wide however agelong oral symptoms whitethorn persist, it appears they tin beryllium portion of the constellation of symptoms known arsenic "long COVID." The word refers to patients who proceed to conflict with COVID-related wellness issues months aft recovering from galore of their archetypal symptoms.

Oral wellness issues person arisen earlier during the pandemic — arsenic galore patients person enactment disconnected regular checkups.

Hewlett said adjacent those unaffected by COVID-related issues should support successful caput that maintaining bully oral wellness is simply a cardinal to wide health. Translation: Don't fto a fearfulness of COVID pb to a descent successful continuing dental care.

"Going to the dentist has been demonstrated to beryllium precise harmless from the position of COVID-19 corruption risk," helium said.

That proposal was seconded by Dr. Shervin Molayem, a periodontist and implant surgeon who is besides manager of the Mouth Body Research Institute successful Los Angeles.

"People inactive haven't been to dental offices, adjacent though it's been a year" since the onset of the pandemic, helium lamented.

"They've thrown disconnected their dental routine," helium added. And the result, helium said, is an uptick successful bleeding gums, periodontal disease, and the sick effects of bony grinding.

"What's causing their tooth-grinding astatine nighttime is apt their secondary accent from the existent disease," Molayem said. That means COVID-related accent has the imaginable to origin jaw pain (TMJ), arsenic good arsenic cracked and chipped teeth.

His bottom-line: pandemic oregon nary pandemic, marque dental attraction a priority.

The probe reappraisal was precocious reported successful the Journal of Dental Research.

More information

Learn much astir COVID-19 and dental wellness astatine the American Dental Association.

SOURCE: Edmond Hewlett, DDS, spokesman, American Dental Association, and prof and and subordinate dean, equity, diverseness and inclusion, School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles; Shervin Molayem, DDS, periodontist and implant surgeon, Beverly Hills, Calif., director, Mouth Body Research Institute, Los Angeles; Journal of Dental Research, July 29, 2021