Simple oral hygiene can help reduce the severity of COVID-19, the study says

COVID-19 can be transmitted through saliva in the lungs of humans by the virus moving directly from the mouth to the bloodstream, especially if individuals suffer from gum disease, according to new research.

Evidence shows that blood vessels in the lungs, rather than airways, are initially affected in COVID-19 lung diseases with high concentrations of the virus in saliva and periodontitis associated with increased risk of death.

The researchers suggest that the accumulation of dental plaque and periodontal inflammation further intensifies the likelihood that the SARS-CoV-2 virus will reach the lungs and cause worse cases of the infection.

Experts believe that this discovery could make effective oral health care a life-saving action – and recommend that the public take daily steps to maintain oral hygiene and reduce factors that contribute to gum disease, such as plaque buildup.

An international team of researchers from the United Kingdom, South Africa and the United States today presented their findings in the Journal of Oral Medicine and Dental Research. They show emerging evidence that specific ingredients of cheap and widely available mouthwash products are very effective in inactivating the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Simple oral hygiene measures, including the use of these specific mouthwashes, can help reduce the risk of transmission of the virus from the mouth to the lungs in those with COVID-19, and to prevent serious cases of infection.

Initial observations of CT scans of the lungs of patients suffering from COVID-19 lung disease, Dr. Graham Lloyd-Jones, a radiologist, led a collaboration between medical and dental researchers on the possible access route in the bloodstream.

Co-author Iain Chapple, professor of periodontology at the University of Birmingham, said: “This model can help us understand why some individuals develop COVID-19 lung disease and others do not. It may also be the way we treat the virus management, change, cheap or even free treatments aimed at the mouth and ultimately save lives.

Gum disease causes the gums to become lumpy, allowing microorganisms to enter the bloodstream. Simple measures – such as careful toothbrushing and interdental brushing to reduce plaque buildup, along with specific mouthwashes, or even saline rinsing to reduce gingivitis – can help reduce gingivitis. the concentration of the virus in saliva and helps to reduce the development of lung diseases and reduce the risk of deterioration to severe COVID-19. “

The research team included experts from Salisbury District Hospital, UK; the University of Birmingham, UK; and the Mouth-Body Research Institute, Los Angeles, California and Cape Town, South Africa.

Their new model is based on the mouth providing a breeding ground for the virus to thrive, with any violation in the oral immune system making it easier for the virus to enter the bloodstream. If the virus moves from the blood vessels in the gums, it will pass through the neck and thoracic arteries and reach the heart before being pumped into pulmonary arteries and small vessels in the lung base and periphery.

“Studies are urgently needed to further investigate this new model, but in the meantime, daily oral hygiene and plaque control will not only improve oral health and well-being, but it can also be life-saving in the context of the pandemic,” Professor Chapple added.

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More information:
Graham Lloyd-Jones et al. The COVID-19 route: a proposed oral-vascular lung route of SARS-CoV-2 infection and the importance of oral health care measures. The Journal of Oral Medicine and Dental Research (2021).