Oral manifestations in SARS-CoV-2 infection

ABSTRACT

Background: We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of predisposing factors and oral manifestations in SARS-CoV-2infection.Material and Methods: 204 SARS-CoV-2 positive patients were included in the study. Questions regarding thesystemic, periodontal health, oral hygiene habits, common symptoms and, oral manifestations of COVID-19 suchas oral lesions, and dry mouth were included in the survey. The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was used.Results: 47.5% of individuals had various systemic diseases. Dry mouth (44.2%) and oral lesions (22.4%) werethe most common oral manifestations in COVID-19 patients. Also, dry mouth had the highest VAS score. Themost common oral lesion locations were buccal mucosa (15.2%) and tongue (10.8%). The majority of participants(142 patients) were affected by taste disorders. Patients who received periodontal treatment before SARS-CoV-2infection reported fewer oral complaint and manifestations than those who did not receive periodontal therapy(p=0.032). There was no statistically significant difference between males and females on the presence of any oralmanifestations, and taste disorders.Conclusions: Our results showed that SARS-CoV-2 could cause oral manifestations. However various predisposing factors may be part of the etiology and promote oral findings. (AU)