From mild COVID to long COVID: comprehensive oral health assessment
Introduction: COVID-19 has caused a wide range of symptomatology, including that present in the oral cavity. A new related syndrome is gaining importance: Long COVID. The aim of this work is to analyse the effect of SARS-CoV-2 infection at the oral level in subjects diagnosed with Long COVID, compared to acute infection.
Methods: A case-control study was conducted with 102 subjects recruited between 2021 and 2022, from whom 34 oral health variables and possible risk factors were obtained.
Results: Statistical analysis revealed that Long COVID subjects had significantly higher prevalence of: adenopathies, TMJ pain, pharyngeal irritation, xerostomia, fillings, dental absences and dental crowns, higher CAOM and CAOD index values and higher total dental symptoms. In addition, stress appeared as a risk factor; those patients with Long COVID who presented a higher level of stress (7.73 ± 2.02) were also those who suffered, to a greater extent, from xerostomia or bruxism, responsible for TMJ pain, also more prevalent in this group.
Conclusions: Long COVID causes oral manifestations related, some of them, to the fact that the oral cavity is a route of entry of the virus, such as mucosal irritation; others, related to its possible autoimmune nature, such as mucosal irritation; others, related to its possible autoimmune nature, such as xerostomia and, in the same way, others related to stress, reflected in the presence of bruxism. It is essential to develop protocols that improve both the early diagnosis and management of these patients in our clinics.
Key words: COVID-19; Long COVID; Mucosal irritation; Xerostomia; Adenopathies; Bruxism and stress.