Your oral health is an essential part of your overall health. Without adequate dental care, your teeth might cause discomfort in your daily activities. This makes it necessary to incorporate healthy habits for stronger, healthier teeth. It is even more important to stay on top of our dental routine during a pandemic.
While Covid-19 is known to affect the lungs, new studies suggest that it may also affect your teeth and gums. So to prevent tooth decay or damage, you need to understand how this virus affects your oral health.
New reports found that people diagnosed with this disease saw some changes in their general wellbeing. For example, while some developed rashes, others lost their sense of taste and smell. Additionally, some people with Covid-19 describe changes in their teeth, such as discoloration and more severe and frequent toothaches.
There are some ways experts link the disease to deteriorating oral health. Here are the ways Covid may affect your teeth.
Covid and Your Teeth
Dry mouth is one of the more common dental issues associated with Covid-19 as it affects around 43% of Covid patients. Experts describe it as a condition characterized by a significant reduction in saliva flow. Patients with the virus develop dry mouth based on numerous factors, such as dehydration, vascular changes, or changes in food choices. Because of this condition, they become more susceptible to dental problems. Experts believe that dry mouth can cause an increase in plaque and tooth disease. In addition, without sufficient saliva flow, patients become more susceptible to tooth decay and gum problems. To help prevent dry mouth, you need to prioritize your daily dental routine.
For starters, you should brush twice a day to prevent dry mouth. Studies have shown that brushing may help saliva flow more easily. Another great way to reduce dry mouth is by avoiding caffeine. While caffeine can help you start your day, it is very dehydrating. Try to limit your caffeine intake to 200mg per day or less.
Damage to the blood vessels is another way the virus may affect dental health. Blood flow is vital for the normal functioning of organs. Without sufficient blood flow, you may develop issues affecting your overall health. Because coronavirus damages the blood vessels, it may also interfere with the teeth and gums. The mouth is rich with blood vessels concentrated in our teeth, gums, and tongue. The vessels in our gums are responsible for healthy, growing teeth. Getting infected with Covid may damage those blood vessels due to decreased blood flow around the gum area.
Even weeks after the disease, you may notice persistent infections resulting from vascular damage. This may lead to teeth discoloration or even your teeth falling out. Also, vascular damage causes tooth decay as blood flow is reduced in areas, especially the teeth.
Put Your Worries to Rest
The virus may affect some Covid patients’ dental and overall health. While you should not be overly worried, these problems are things to consider. If you are concerned about how Covid could have affected your teeth or how it may in the future, please contact us, and we would be happy to talk to you about any of these concerns.