The results of the first study on the effects of periodontitis in patients with COVID-19, just published, are clear: people whose gums are severely inflamed and who do not treat them risk a much more serious course of the infection.
It is well known that the mouth is the main gateway for viruses and bacteria into our bodies. The link between metabolic diseases and gum inflammation has also long been recognised, as has the link between periodontitis and cardiovascular disease.
Now comes the very important news, published in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology, that people with periodontitis (a chronic, widespread inflammation of the tooth’s supporting structures that affects as many as 8 million Italians) who come into contact with the SARS-CoV-2 virus face a very significant risk of developing the most severe forms of COVID-19: their likelihood of death rises almost 9-fold, their need for assisted ventilation 4.6-fold and their risk of admission to intensive care 3.5-fold. These are the findings of a large study involving 568 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 between February and July 2020.
What increases is not the risk of infection itself. Rather, once the infection has been contracted, the high bacterial load in the mouth and the chronic systemic inflammation pave the way for the severe inflammation triggered by SARS-CoV-2, so the disease can take a much more serious course and, in a number of cases, even prove fatal.
Preventing and treating periodontitis is therefore more important than ever during the pandemic. To do so, you must never neglect your oral hygiene and should have regular dental check-ups. Sadly, many patients have neglected the care of their teeth and gums during the pandemic, but keeping your mouth healthy is essential for your general health, and even more so at times of health crisis like this one.
Credits: Photo by Fusion Medical Animation on Unsplash
