If you have gum disease, you are much more likely to develop a serious case of COVID-19.
Is the inside of your mouth at the top of your thoughts these days? No? You are probably in good company. Most of us are too busy engaging in daily life to worry about our breath, the health of our teeth, and things like the state of our gums. But maybe we should think about it all a bit more.
According to a study published in early February in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology, if you suffer from gum disease you are much more likely to have a serious case of COVID-19, should you catch the virus. A study of over 500 participants from Qatar found patients with gum disease were 3.5 times more likely to be admitted to intensive care when being treated for the coronavirus. This group was also 4.5 times more likely to be put on a ventilator. Finally, they were a staggering nine times more likely to die from the coronavirus compared to people who didn’t have gum disease. Time to brush up!
Traveling Germs
Why do these overwhelming differences exist?
One of the study’s lead authors said the gap could come down to oral bacteria traveling in your body. Professor Mariano Sanz of the Complutense University of Madrid in Spain said that patients with gum disease, (also called periodontitis), can inhale the oral bacteria causing their disease into their lungs. If this happens, the lungs of coronavirus patients can be infected even further. This is especially true if you are placed on a ventilator.
Sanz recommends coronavirus patients use oral antiseptics to reduce the chance of their lung infection worsening in the hospital.
Related: This is Where Ebola and COVID-19 Crossover
The daunting thing is that an astonishing 47% of Americans aged 30 and above currently suffer from gum disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). When it comes to adults over the age of 65, 70% in the US are said to be living with the disease. Is it you? You may have periodontitis if your gums are swollen and puffy. Other symptoms of gum disease include having gums that are dark red or purple near the gum line, bad breath, and gums that bleed easily, especially while brushing your teeth.
Stopping Disease
Yes, there is good news. With a bit of effort, you can rather easily prevent gum disease. The buildup of plaque along the gum line is what causes periodontitis. This can happen when you eat starchy and sugary foods. Being obese, smoking, using drugs, having bad genetics, and not getting enough vitamin C in your diet can also come into play.
Of course, some people are blessed with naturally beneficial mouth chemistry. Others have a tendency to build up more plaque, and so some of it is the luck of the draw. By brushing twice and day and flossing, you can reduce your chances of developing periodontitis, however. It can also pay off to visit your dentist regularly for teeth cleaning. Plaque can harden into tartar, and you cannot get rid of this stuff by simply brushing. You will need a professional cleaning.
For more information on gum disease, click here. If you think you have the coronavirus, stay home and call a doctor.
photo credits: Stefano Garau/Shutterstock.com
