More and more research is emerging to help us to better understand Covid-19. The dental community and researchers are finding that there may be a connection between gum disease and how well you fare in healing from Covid.
Emerging research has suggested there’s a connection between gum disease and SARS-CoV-2, according to a new report, “The Mouth COVID Connection (MCC).” The review study, which has been accepted for publication for the October 2020 issue of the Journal of the California Dental Association (JCDA), suggests that hospitalized coronavirus patients with prior underlying gum disease can be at higher risk for respiratory failure.
The MCC study suggests a link between the bacteria in inflamed gums and bone loss—symptoms of chronic disease—and COVID-19 complications. Researchers suggest that patients with high levels of IL-6 (interleukin), a harmful protein that is elevated in gum disease, can be at greater risk of suffering life-threatening respiratory problems. A critical study in Germany tested COVID-19 patients for the IL-6 protein while they were hospitalized and determined that patients that presented high Il-6 levels were more likely to need a ventilator to breathe.
MCC researchers urge anyone concerned they have gum disease to schedule a dental appointment as soon as possible, since several studies show that gum disease can lead to high IL-6 levels.
Researchers say periodontal disease is the most under-diagnosed disease in dentistry and they urge those who think they may have periodontitis to get treatment as soon as possible.
“As the death toll keeps climbing, the CDC now predicts the virus will be among the leading causes of death in the United States, just behind heart disease and cancer,” said Dr. Molayem. “Periodontitis can make it even deadlier, if you’re worried that you may have gum disease, your next trip to the dentist may actually save your life.”
Don’t skip your dental appointment due to the current pandemic. Your Fort Lauderdale dentist is taking all precautions to keep every patient safe, including wearing additional protective gear, minimizing the number of people in the office at one time, monitoring all patients and staff for symptoms of coronavirus, and increasing cleaning frequency. You can feel safe and well cared for at the Premier Smile Center. Contact us today to schedule your cleaning and checkup with Dr. Charmaine Johnson.
