ABSTRACT

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a serious illness with a wide range of symptoms. The all effects of this rising number of atypical infection on the oral cavity are not completely known. The aim of the present study was to investigate the oral manifestation which could be observed in mild to moderate cases of COVID-19. This questionnaire survey includes 289 adult patients with who were confirmed COVID-19 positive based on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and followed at home by the Canik district health directorate between January 2021 and June 2021. After applying the exclusion criteria cases with mild to moderate patients were included in the study. A 4-part questionnaire was applied to the patients for evaluation. The first part of the questionnaire included demographic characteristics, smoking, general health status and oral hygiene habits; the second part includes xerostomia findings; the third part includes the determination of gingival changes and mouth sore. Fourth part includes the evaluation of taste-smell alteration and trigeminal neuropathic pain. The effects of the variables collected in the first part of the survey were statistically evaluated on finding of xerostomia, gingival changes, taste-smell alteration, mouth sore and neuropathic pain. Class comparisons were made using Wilcoxon and Kruskal-Wallis tests, multiple comparison were made using Mann-Whitney test, the relationship between the categorical variables were examined with χ^2 test. The highest prevalence symptom was xerostomia (69%) and patients over 65 years of age were more symptomatic (P=0.015). There is a statistical difference in dry mouth between patients who smoked more than 20 cigarettes a day and those who did not smoke (P=0.002). There is no statistical difference between the oral hygiene habits of the patients and the symptoms of COVID-19 (P=0.33). A statistical difference is found between patients without chronic disease and patients with one or more chronic diseases in terms of xerostomia, taste-smell changes, gingival changes and neuralgia form pain (P=0.01). The highest incidence of mouth sores was 35% in patients with more than one chronic disease. this is followed by type II diabetes (21%), hypertension (18%) and patients without chronic disease (7%), respectively. Xerostomia was more common in COVID-19 infected patients over 65 years of age. Smoking and comorbidities increased the prevalence of oral symptoms of COVID-19 infected patient. COVID-19 may cause neuralgia form pain at lips and tongue hypoesthesia as well as olfactory and gustator dysfunctions.

Keywords

COVID-19, oral lesions, neuralgia form pain, oral manifestations, xerostomia.

MJE-019