(By Dr. Joseph D. Lim and Dr. Kenneth Lester Lim, BS-MMG, DDM, MSc-OI)
THE LINK between oral health and overall health is well established.
One of the very first symptoms of COVID-19 are oral in nature.
COVID-19 patients frequently have gustatory dysfunction or loss of taste, xerostomia or dry mouth, and oral mucosal lesions, or ulcerations on the mucous membrane lining the inside of the mouth.
Indeed, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSâCoVâ2) that causes COVID-19 has been identified in the saliva of COVID patients.
The oral symptoms of COVID-19 include sore throat and dry cough. Taste impairment is the most reported manifestation. To be technical about it, other common oral symptoms are erythema, lichen planus, aphthousâlike lesions, herpetiform lesions, candidiasis, oral lesions of Kawasakiâlike disease, white and erythematous plaques, irregular ulcers, small blisters, petechiae, desquamative gingivitis, and geographic tongue.
One particular symptom is called the âCOVID-19 Tongueâ described by the British Journal of Dermatology as bumps in the tongue, along with swelling and inflammation on the tongue surface. COVID-19 Tongue is red or dark colored with white patches. It causes tingling in the lips, mouth irritation and plenty of discomfort.
Another disease closely linked to oral health is HIV/AIDS. The first signs of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection often appear in the mouth; HIV causes Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or AIDS. More than half of people living with HIV develop fungal, bacterial, and viral infections in the mouth at the early stage of the disease. These can cause pain and discomfort, dry mouth, and difficulty in chewing, swallowing, and tasting food.
In fact, oral lesions can be used to diagnose HIV infection, monitor the disease progression, predict immune status and contribute to timely therapeutic treatment. This is why dentists are asked to be aware of these symptoms so that timely testing and medical attention are provided to these patients.
All these indicate that poor oral health causes poor overall health â and vice versa.
For example, there is evidence that implicates gum disease in causing adverse pregnancy outcomes, including pre-term birth and low birth weight. However, the evidence for the link is contentious.
To search for evidence of causes and effects, four studies, published in the British Dental Journal in 2017, review medical literature to find evidence of the association between oral health and general medical conditions.
The series of reviews were made so that health practitioners and policy makers in the United Kingdom and Public Health England, a part of the UKâs National Health System, have the most contemporary evidence on the relationship between oral health and general health.
In subsequent columns of The Dentist Is In, we will also feature the four studies published in the British Dental Journal that link oral health to other diseases.
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Dr. Joseph D. Lim, Ed. D., is the former Associate Dean of the College of Dentistry, University of the East; former Dean, College of Dentistry, National University; Past President and Honorary Fellow of the Asian Oral Implant Academy; Honorary Fellow of the Japan College of Oral Implantologists; Honorary Life Member of the Thai Association of Dental Implantology; and Founding Chairman of the Philippine College of Oral Implantologists. For questions on dental health, e-mail jdlim2008@gmail.com or text 0917-8591515.
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Dr. Kenneth Lester Lim, BS-MMG, DDM, MSc-OI, graduated Doctor of Dental Medicine, University of the Philippines, College of Dentistry, Manila, 2011; Bachelor of Science in Marketing Management, De la Salle University, Manila, 2002; and Master of Science (MSc.) in Oral Implantology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany, 2019. He is an Associate Professor; Fellow, International Congress of Oral Implantologists; Member, American Academy of Implant Dentistry and Fellow, Philippine College of Oral Implantologists. For questions on dental health, e-mail limdentalcenter@gmail.com./PN
