CORRELATIONS BETWEEN DENTAL CARIES AND CLINICAL INDICATORS OF ORAL FLUID AMONG PATIENTS WITH COVID-19, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE PSYCHO-EMOTIONAL STATE

Abstract

Important indicators of the oral fluid that influence the development of caries are saliva flow rate, viscosity and pH. Deterioration of these parameters leads to rapid plaque formation and changes in its microbial
 composition, which causes demineralization of enamel. The combination of significant psycho-emotional and physical stress, changes in lifestyle and social environment can also lead to the manifestation of the caries process. In the period from 2019 to 2023, the professional literature published a lot of data on the impact of the new coronavirus disease not only on the physical condition of a person but also on his or her psychoemotional stability.
 The aim of the study is to investigate the correlations between caries of permanent teeth and changes in physicochemical parameters of oral fluid, taking into account the psycho-emotional state of patients with coronavirus disease.
 Materials and methods. All patients were examined in a series of ways, such as taking a medical history, clinical methods (determination of the DMFT index and oral hygiene status using the GreenVermillion index), laboratory methods (studying the salivation rate of unstimulated saliva, its viscosity and pH), and psychological methods (assessment of the level of reactive and personal anxiety using the Spielberger Psychodiagnostic Scale, adapted by Khanin).
 Research results and their discussion. The results of the study revealed changes in oral fluid parameters in patients with coronavirus disease: a decrease in salivation rate, an increase in viscosity, and a shift in pH towards more acidic values. The psychological methods used in our study allowed to assess personal and reactive anxiety among patients with COVID-19 with a predominance of indicators corresponding to moderate and high levels.
 Conclusions. The obtained results will be used to develop preventive measures to increase the resistance of hard dental tissues to prevent the occurrence and development of caries.