KOCHI: The coronavirus doesn’t only cause health issues during the infection but also causes lingering symptoms for weeks or months. This is often termed as Long Covid and includes generalised fatigue, taste and smell disorders, joint pain and more. Dental issues are also common in survivors.
Gum Disease
Reason: Poor oral hygiene and generalised inflammation can contribute to oxidative stress that can damage the microvasculature and bony tissues.
Implication: Untreated gum disease can worsen diabetes also by affecting glycemic control
Signs: Profuse bleeding from gums and persistent redness
Solution: Get your teeth cleaned to remove plaque and debris through scaling.
Maintain consistent oral hygiene.
Stress-induced mouth ulcers
Stress often affects your teeth badly. Along with persistent inflammation, stress can cause frequent mouth ulcers due to the release of certain destructive chemicals that breach the delicate oral mucosa.
Implication: Long-standing ulcers that stay for more than three weeks can be potentially cancerous and needs proper evaluation.
Signs: Cuts on inside of the cheek, lips or tongue which is painful if it is aphthous ulcers and usually painless if they are cancerous
Solution: Daily self-examination of the oral cavity for any changes while brushing
Oral Candidiasis or white fungus
Opportunistic infection is caused when the immunity is weakened due to injudicious antibiotic use, lack of tongue hygiene and unhygienic false teeth sets or dentures.
Implication: Can often turn into serious complications
Signs: Curdy like coating over the tongue or borders of lips which often bleeds
Solution: Proper tongue hygiene, avoid unnecessary use of antibiotics, drink more water to prevent dry mouth, keep your dentures clean using cleansing tablets, ensuring good sleep, balanced diet and exercise.
Mucormycosis or Black Fungus
The rhinocerebral variant will have oral implications as well, including sudden toothache and loss of teeth only on the upper arch, bleeding from upper gums, black discolouration of the palate, ulcers with bony exposure on the upper jaw gums.
Implications: Can turn into complications if not treated earlier
Signs: Sudden appearance of teeth problems only localised to upper jaw alone with above-mentioned features.
Solution: Consult a periodontist or oral and maxillofacial surgeon when you notice such sudden changes
Tooth Sensitivity
Overzealous brushing with a hard brush for a long time to make sure of oral hygiene often abrades teeth enormously. Climate changes and stress-related teeth grinding habits adds to it.
Implications: Can often lead to a psychogenic pain state
Signs: Sharp shooting pain on taking cold hot and sweet foods
Solution: Use a soft toothbrush and cream toothpaste and brush twice daily each for three minutes only. Use desensitisers if needed after seeking dentist advice
Dry Mouth
Covid affects the ductal opening of various salivary glands like Wharton’s duct and in turn, reduces salivary flow as per a few studies.
Implications: Dry mouth can raise dental decay levels as well as tongue coating and burning sensation
Signs: A feel of uneasiness and burning inside the mouth
Solution: Drink plenty of water. Seek dental consultation to find if you need artificial saliva substitutes.
Covid Tongue
A new term Covid Tongue was coined in a few dermatology studies which is an umbrella term that includes bumps, rashes, depopulation and ulcers in post-Covid patients.
Implications: Can pave a way to oral candidiasis and other allergic stomatitis disorders
Signs: Sudden blunt appearance or uneven elevations or marks on the tongue
Solution: Make sure you eat a balanced diet rich in vitamins and practice proper tongue hygiene