COVID-19 and spontaneous tooth loss?
Spontaneous tooth loss and gum pain could be a possible sequel to COVID-19.
According to "The New York Times," in the absence of further evidence, experts call for caution and not to draw definitive conclusions yet on this link.
In isolated cases of patients with COVID-19, tooth loss has been detected without bleeding, gum sensitivity, and teeth that chip or turn gray. However, according to an article published in "The New York Times," several patients, both with and without previous oral problems, have suffered various dental issues after recovering from the disease.
Recently, these isolated cases of tooth loss, without bleeding or pain, have been described in patients who have suffered from SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, there is not yet accurate evidence that having the disease past can lead to spontaneous tooth loss or related problems.
Before reaching any conclusion about the cause-effect relationship, several things should be taken into account: the casuistry is minimal and not representative for the time being. Spontaneous loss of teeth for no apparent reason is exceptional. It is indeed frequent in patients with pathologies such as periodontitis not diagnosed in time or not treated, and this is indeed relevant; it should be borne in mind that, on a global level, half of all adults suffer from some form of periodontitis. In fact, one of the patients who referred to the fall of an incisor while eating a mint suffered from previous oral pathology and a significant loss of bone to support the teeth, in addition to being a smoker.
Gingivitis is very sensitive to hyper-inflammatory reactions, and long-term carriers of COVID fall into this category.
Studying these patients' periodontal and evolutionary history would be essential to exclude known causes of tooth loss. Remember that periodontitis results from a fight between the bacteria that attack the gums and the patient's defense systems. When immunity fails in this battle, periodontitis manifests itself or worsens; such is the case that can happen in patients with diabetes, cancer, and AIDS, in treatment with chemotherapy...
The alteration of the defenses caused by COVID-19 could explain some oral disorders, although it is difficult to explain the spontaneous loss of teeth without pain or bleeding. Regarding this last sign, it has been proposed that the virus's infection could alter the gum's blood vessels, decreasing the irrigation to the tooth and causing it to fall.
COVID-19 could explain some oral disorders, although it is difficult to explain the spontaneous loss of teeth without pain or bleeding.