Brushing your teeth regularly and maintaining proper oral care can play an important role in the fight against COVID-19 – because patients with gum disease are nine times more likely to die from the insect, according to new research.
A study of more than 500 patients also found that people with gum disease were 3.5 times more likely to be admitted to intensive care and 4.5 times more likely to be admitted to intensive care. needed a ventilator, Medical Xpress reported.
In addition, coronavirus patients with poor gum health are at least three times more likely to have complications, according to the study published in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology.
Blood markers indicating inflammation in the body were significantly higher in patients with gum disease, suggesting that inflammation may explain the increased rates of complications.
“The results of the study suggest that inflammation in the oral cavity may open the door to the coronavirus becoming more violent,” said the study’s co-author, Professor Lior Shapira of the Hebrew University of Israel.
“Oral care should be part of the health recommendations to reduce the risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes,” added Shapira, president-elect of the European Federation of Periodontology.
Periodontitis, a serious form of gum disease that affects up to half of all adults worldwide, can spread throughout the body if left untreated – and COVID-19 is associated with a fatal inflammatory response.
The study, which was conducted in Qatar, included 568 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 between February and July 2020.
Of these, 40 had complications – including ICU admission, placement on a ventilator or death – and 528 did not.
Other factors, including body mass index, asthma, heart disease, diabetes, blood pressure and smoking were also considered in COVID-19 complications. Data on blood levels of chemicals related to inflammation in the body were also obtained.
The chances of death for patients with COVID-19 with gum disease were 8.81 times higher than others, while the chances of reaching intensive care or a ventilator were 3.54 and 4, respectively. 57 times larger.
If a causal link is established between periodontitis and increased rates of adverse outcomes in patients with COVID-19, then establishing and maintaining periodontal health may become an important part of caring for these patients, the authors wrote.
Professor Mariano Sanz of the Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, one of the authors, said that oral bacteria in patients with periodontitis can be inhaled and infected the lungs.
This may contribute to the deterioration of patients with COVID-19 and increase the risk of death. Hospital staff should identify COVID-19 patients with periodontitis and use oral antiseptics to reduce the transmission of bacteria, ”he said.
Shapira said the link between periodontitis and lung disease, including asthma, pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is well established.
This study adds additional evidence to the links between oral health and respiratory disorders. Periodontitis is a common disease, but it can be prevented and treated, “said Shapira.