Oral manifestations in mild-to-moderate cases of COVID-19 viral infection in the adult population.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a serious worldwide threat presented by a broad range of symptoms, from mild flu to severe pneumonia. A rising number of atypical infections have been reported. Thus, scientists and clinicians are doing hard work to unravel scientific knowledge about this novel pandemic. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present work was to highlight the oral manifestations which could be observed in mild-to-moderate cases of COVID-19. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A questionnaire survey was performed on 665 Egyptian patients who were confirmed COVID-19-positive based on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. After applying the exclusion criteria, cases with mild-to-moderate symptoms were included in the study. The questionnaire consisted of 4 sections. The 1st section included demographic data, smoking, alcohol consumption, and general health status. The 2nd section contained questions regarding the oral hygiene status of the patients, and additionally a question about the hygienic measures they took while being infected with COVID-19. The 3rd section included questions about the most commonly reported COVID-19 symptoms the patients suffered from. The 4th section included questions that referred to the oral manifestations the patients complained of while being infected with COVID-19. RESULTS: A total of 573 patients were included in this survey. It was reported that 71.7% of COVID-19 patients presented with some oral manifestations at a level of significance, with variable incidence - oral or dental pain (23%), pain in jaw bones or joint (12.0%), halitosis (10.5%), ulcerations (20.4%), and xerostomia (47.6%). Some patients (28.3%) showed 2 or 3 manifestations simultaneously. CONCLUSIONS: It was proven that mild-to-moderate cases of COVID-19 infection are associated with oral symptoms, and thus the significance of dental examination of patients with communicable diseases should be emphasized.