A recent report has warned that COVID-19 gum disease patients are nine times more likely to suffer from the killer virus. Researchers have also discovered that gum disease patients are 4.5 times more likely to use a ventilator.
COVID-19 patients with the oral condition more likely to put in ICU
According to studies published in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology, patients with oral illness were 3.5 times more likely to be referred to intensive care. As one of the first lockdown restrictions, dentists across the nation had to close early in 2020, except for emergencies.
This leads to individuals performing DIY procedures at home and a patient backlog. Dentists have stayed open throughout the third national lockdown and will treat patients as long as strict measures are adhered to. Experts claim that it will help prevent severe gum disease, get routine checkups and stay on top of oral hygiene.
Speaking to The Sun, Eddie Crouch, Chairman of the British Dental Association, said more than 20 million people missed dental appointments due to the pandemic. Therefore dentists were unable to identify developing problems.
He said the problem with gum disease is that many people have it, but it's all about how the body reacts. The body reacts exaggeratedly for some individuals that can lose bone quite quickly.
"It may be the case that those who are prone to aggressive gum disease are also prone to an aggressive response from Covid-19," Crouch added.
Experts analyzed more than 500 patients with COVID-19 at the Complutense University of Madrid, Spain. Patients with severe gum disease or periodontitis were classified as patients with two or more teeth showing bone loss and those with cracked or broken roots.
The experts found that in those who had COVID-19, blood markers suggested that inflammation in the body was higher. This, they said, means that inflammation may explain why more complications are experienced by some patients than others.
The results of the study "suggest that inflammation in the oral cavity may open the door to the increasingly violent coronavirus," Professor Lior Shapira, President-elect of the European Federation of Periodontology, said.
"Oral care should be part of the health recommendations to reduce the risk for severe COVID-19 outcomes," Lior added.
Read also: Teen Wakes up from Coma Unaware of the Pandemic and That He Caught It Twice
Gum disease linked to COVID-19 complications
According to research published in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology, the official publication of the European Federation of Periodontology (EFP) 1, COVID-19 patients are at least three times more likely to experience complications if they also have gum disease.
The study of over 500 COVID-19 patients found that gum disease patients were 3.5 times more likely to be admitted to intensive care, 4.5 times more likely to need a ventilator, and nearly nine times more likely to die compared to those without gum disease.
In COVID-19 patients who had gum disease, blood markers indicating inflammation in the body were significantly higher than those who did not, suggesting that inflammation may explain the high complication rates, as per Medical Express.
Periodontitis, a chronic type of gum disease, affects up to half of all adults worldwide. Periodontitis causes gum inflammation, and inflammation will spread across the body if left untreated. An inflammatory reaction that can be deadly is associated with COVID-19. The relation between periodontitis and complications from COVID-19 was examined in this review.
'COVID tongue:' the newest COVID-19 symptoms
According to Deseret News, more recorded cases of people are developing tongue discoloration, enlargement, and other mouth conditions, a British researcher recently said.
Tim Spector, researcher and a genetic epidemiology professor at King's College London, called the "COVID tongue" experience, seeing growing numbers of COVID tongues and strange mouth ulcers. The researcher said whether you have an unusual symptom or perhaps only sit at home with headache and exhaustion.
A recent report has warned that COVID-19 gum disease patients are nine times more likely to suffer from the killer virus. Researchers have also discovered that gum disease patients are 4.5 times more likely to use a ventilator.
Read also: COVID-19: Mother Shares Experience as She Gives Birth While in Critical Condition Due to Coronavirus
