Oral hygiene influence on the incidence and severity of oral manifestations in Coronavirus Disease 2019
摘要
The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence, severity, duration of oral manifestations in individuals with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the association of these manifestations with the severity of COVID-19 and the patient's oral hygiene.
MethodsThis study included 820 patients with confirmed COVID-19. A questionnaire form including oral hygiene habits, the severity of Covid-19, the presence, severity and durations of oral manifestations was prepared, and a web-based survey was performed using Google-forms. Obtained data was analysed with Pearson chi-square and Fisher's exact tests with statistical significance set at P < 0.05.
ResultsThe most commonly reported manifestations were taste dysfunction (63.4%), xerostomia (59.9%), halitosis (31.1%), dysphagia (27.8%), hypersensitive teeth (27.2%) and gingival bleeding (14.3%). The incidence of the oral manifestations was found significantly associated with severity of COVID-19 (P = 0.000 V = 0.151), presence of systemic diseases (P = 0.034, V = 0.074) and age (P = 0.023, V = 0.099). Tooth brushing decreased the incidence of aphthous like lesions of tongue during Covid-19 (p < 0.05).
ConclusionMaintenance of oral hygiene was associated with a reduced incidence of aphthous-like lesions, underscoring the protective role of routine oral care. These findings highlight the need to integrate oral health assessment and hygiene education into COVID-19 management protocols, which may also be important for potential future pandemics.