Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic greatly affected human well-being, social behavior, global economy, and healthcare systems. Everyday clinical practice in dentistry has been adjusted to the increased hazards of aerosol production by routine dental procedures. The objective of this study was to assess the existing literature to determine possible mechanisms of a relationship between COVID-19 and periodontitis, as well as describe findings from relevant epidemiological studies.Scarce data exist in the literature that directly addresses the relationship between the two diseases. However, several data describe the role of the oral cavity and periodontal tissues as portals of entry of severe acute respiratory syndrome–coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), and the contribution of cytokines known to be produced in periodontal disease to severe forms of COVID-19. It is also suggested from the current literature that periodontal disease, shown to be associated with systemic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, shares common risk factors with—especially—severe forms of COVID-19.Further clinical studies are required to establish the relationship between these diseases. Oral hygiene performance and intact periodontal tissues can assist in mitigating the pandemic, and it is suggested that dental practitioners can contribute to identifying at-risk patients.
Highlights
Severe acute respiratory syndrome–coronavirus-2 (SARSCoV-2) has caused a pandemic with immense impact on human well-being, social behavior, global economy, and certainly, healthcare systems
As of July 5, 2021, there have been 183,560,151 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 3,978,581 deaths reported to the World Health Organization (WHO), with the Americas and Europe reporting at least 128 million people affected by the disease.[1]
The following keywords were used in the search: “periodontal disease,” “COVID-19,” “SARS-CoV-2,” “oral cavity,” “oral hygiene,” “ACE2 receptors,” “periodontitis risk factors,” and ”COVID-19 risk factors.’’ All types of articles considered relevant for discussion were selected and analyzed in detail
Summary
Severe acute respiratory syndrome–coronavirus-2 (SARSCoV-2) has caused a pandemic with immense impact on human well-being, social behavior, global economy, and certainly, healthcare systems. COVID-19 presents various clinical signs, with most patients exhibiting mild symptoms including fever, dry cough, anosmia, ageusia, and fatigue.[4] up to 20% of patients develop severe disease, which leads to hospitalization and possibly necessitates intensive care unit (ICU) treatment, with grave—even fatal—complications, such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), multiorgan failures, and sepsis.[4]. Despite their similarities regarding structure, pathways of transmission, and clinical symptoms, a higher infectious rate of SARS-CoV-2 compared with SARS-CoV-1 and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-CoV (MERS–CoV) has been reported, contributing to the global spread and raising substantial concerns for controlling the transmission of the infection.[5,6]. The purpose of the present narrative review was to discuss scientific information on the role of the oral cavity and periodontal tissues as portals of entry of SARSCoV-2, the connection of risk factors for COVID-19 with periodontal disease, and the biological plausibility of this relationship
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