It can be considered a well-known fact of how paramount maintaining good oral health is. Certainly, many people are unaware that delaying dental care can have a profound effect on general body health. Unfortunately, pushing for enhancement of physical appearance, oral health care still ranks low on the priority of many.
Connection of body with dental health
In the midst of the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic resurging, there have been preliminary studies done. Many of them show some level of contribution to exacerbating respiratory inflammation, increased IL-6 and periodontitis or increased plaque levels. This presents a problem on many levels. There is a general level of negligence towards visiting the dental practitioner until there is an emergency. The pandemic has forced many dentists to shut down their practices with a small amount only settling to treat emergencies. Likewise, research is still ongoing over the potential of dental settings in transmitting Covid-19. Many organizations like the ADA chose to disagree with the WHO’s instructions.
Healthy Mouth, Healthy Body
Like every area of your body, your mouth is teeming with its own natural reservoir of bacteria. Subsequently, the one advantage they have over the rest is having access to the inside of your body. This excessive load of bacteria can lead to any debilitating systemic condition. There have been numerous evidence supporting that diseases like periodontitis can play a contributing role to cardiovascular diseases, respiratory conditions, diabetes etc.
Good oral care can save from COVID-19?
Most importantly, a study also displayed how poor dental health and lack of timely treatment lead to a persistently increased viral load in Covid-19 patients. That is to say, even after recovery, the patients were treated for oral diseases causing the virus to subside. Consequently, this suggests that the oral microbiome can play a crucial role in supporting the growth of SARS-CoV-2.
Conclusion
To sum up, this necessitates absolutely strict measures of observing oral hygiene. Hence, along with the usual precautions of wearing a mask and practising social distancing; its necessary to not forgo on the component of oral health.
-By Dr Yasir Israr
The author is contributing writer at Dental News Pakistan and can be reached at yasirisrar533@gmail.com. Follow him on Instagram @dr_yasirisrar
