Can Covid Affect Your Teeth ?
It is now clear that the novel coronavirus has complex effects on the body’s system. Not only it affects the respiratory system, but it also affects various other organs of the body. Apart from the respiratory system, the infection can spread to the eyes, skin, teeth, and in severe cases, it can affect major vital organs too. In many cases, post-covid effects on the body may linger on for many months.
With this, an unexpected finding of weakened gums and loss of enamel has come up after the recovery from Covid. It is a new alarming feature that is a reason for concern.
Now the question is, can Covid 19 damage dental structures?
As per the experiences of covid survivors, lots of patients are reporting complaints of weakened gums, tooth loss, and other dental infections. Adverse and unusual effects on dental structures are reported by many patients on various social media sites.The exact reason for such damage is still unclear.
Dental pain, a sign of Covid-19 infection?
It is possible that as people have now become aware of the effects happening due to Coronavirus, they understand that the dental issues they are facing are also part of this post covid recovery issues.
However, it is too early to say that these signs are the direct signs of Covid-19 infection. These oral health problems are possibly the signs that are similar to hair loss or joint pain, the ones that have gone unrecognized during the infection period. Therefore, in the lack of prevalent data, it is not right to define that these are directly related to covid-19.
What is the cause of these oral health issues?
Again, it is still unclear what is the exact cause of tooth decay and other dental problems. One possible reason could be the effects that this virus has on blood flow. It is well-known that this virus is greatly affecting the quality of blood flow in the body. Evidence suggests that the Covid-19 virus has the potential of disrupting the blood flow in the body. It is known to cause several clots formation resulting in patchy blood flow.
This causes problems in the transportation of blood and nutrients to the various parts of the body that can damage vital organs such as the heart, brain, chest. Similarly, the jaws may also get affected since the rich supply of blood vessels to the oral cavity could be impacted by lower than the usual or compromised blood flow.
So, the above explanation could be a possible theory explaining the virus’s potential of damaging the oral structures and weakening its foundation.
Does cytokine-storm have a role in the cause of oral health problems?
Cytokine storm associated with Covid-19, where the body’s autoimmune system starts working against the body’s own parts, can be a possible reason for the adverse effects occurring on the oral structures.
Scientists and medical personnel have suggested that a high viral load in the mouth and nasal cavity can be a reason for these problems. Our mouth can be a residence to several ACE2 receptors, on which the SARS-COV-2 virus can latch and replicate
and result in a mild infection without causing much harm to the respiratory and gastrointestinal systems. However, why these problems continue to remain long after the viral load has depleted is still unclear.
Dental problems in child survivors:
It is interesting to know that most kids who are not affected much by the after-effects of the Covid-19 virus have reported problems with their oral structures. The survivors, online and on interviews, have expressed their concern about the dental issues their kids are facing post covid.
Steps to be taken to take better care of dental health in this era of Pandemic?
In the past, untreated and improperly maintained dental health had adverse effects on the heart. It had the potential of resulting in a heart attack. Therefore, the oral problems concerning covid or post covid can be a hint to something bigger underlying. Yet, more research is needed to understand the exact reasons and the seriousness of the effects.
However, due to the illness during the covid infection, people are taking less care of their dental health, which can also be a reason for the sudden deterioration in their dental health post covid. Therefore, maintaining good oral hygiene during the infection can root away from the threatening dental infection later.
Along with this, a good healthy diet is majorly important to regain the strength and vitality of the body. Again, we all know that Covid-19 is a very new disease, and a lot of research is needed to understand its exact pattern. Therefore, it is necessary to take precautions against it. One should get vaccinated and stay masked all the time in a public place. With proper care, we can soon overcome the deadly effects of this disease.