Since the arrival of the coronavirus epidemic, some research tends to affirm that poor oral health could increase the risk of catching Covid- 19. This time, work carried out in the United States shows that patients with gum disease are more at risk of developing a serious form.
Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the mouth that progressively destroys the supporting apparatus of the teeth. Generally, it is an aggravation of gingivitis which, if left untreated, can lead to loosening and loss of teeth. Whether it is periodontitis or other oral problems, it seems that the association with Covid-19 represents a certain danger.
Published in June 2021 in the Journal of Dental Research, a study indeed states that Covid patients who also have gum disease are 3.5 times more likely to to be admitted to intensive care . They are also 4.5 times more likely to need to be put on a ventilator and nine times more likely to die from Covid-19.
Remember that poor oral hygiene increases the risk of secondary infection . The bacteria in the mouth become more aggressive, and can more easily reach the airways and lungs after inhalation.
As scientists from the University of Brasília (Brazil) explain, periodontitis increases the levels of an immune protein in particular:interleukin-6 (IL-6). Inflammation of the gums can occur as a result, a condition capable of affecting the lungs and blood vessels as well. However, by examining several studies, the researchers discovered that in patients with a high level of IL-6 (i.e. more than eighty picograms per milliliter), the risks of developing a syndrome of respiratory distress, and therefore of ending up inresuscitation or on respiratory assistance , are more important.
Researchers indicate that to fight more aggressive bacteria in case of poor oral health, the body accelerates the production of immune cells including IL-6. However, this often goes hand in hand with chronic gum disease in the case of people who are genetically more likely to have high levels of these cells. Moreover, IL-6 is among the "worst" proteins of its kind. It is involved in the destruction of bones and tissues, but also a impeding the dilation of blood vessels which can cause high blood pressure.
IL-6 is also one of the cytokines, a particular group of immune cells. However, these cells play a role in the cytokine storms characterizing the severe forms of Covid-19. This is an overreaction of the immune system which could be at the origin of the complications resulting from the infection with the coronavirus according to various works. That is, the virus itself does not destroy the patient's lungs, because in reality his own immune defenses do not attack in the right direction.
