New research has found that the new coronavirus, called SARS-Cov-2, could pass into your lungs from saliva with the virus moving directly from mouth to bloodstream, particularly if you have gum disease, according to Medical Xpress.
COVID-19 initially affects the blood vessels of the lungs rather than airways, with high concentrations of the virus found in saliva.
The study researchers have proposed that poor oral care, dental plaque accumulation, and periodontal inflammation could further intensify the risk of the coronavirus reaching the lungs and causing more severe infection.
This finding could make effective oral healthcare a potentially lifesaving action, allowing clinicians to encourage people to take simple, yet effective, daily steps to maintain oral hygiene and reduce the risk factors of gum disease, such as plaque formation.
The study, published in the Journal of Oral Medicine and Dental Research, has noted that mouthwash products could be highly effective at inactivating the coronavirus in saliva itself.
The researcher suggested simple oral hygiene measures, such as the use of specific mouthwash products because they could lower the risk of transmission of the virus from the mouth to the lungs in those with COVID-19, according to Medical Xpress.
The co-author of the study Prof. Iain Chapple of the University of Birmingham said, “This model may help us understand why some individuals develop COVID-19 lung disease and others do not. It could also change the way we manage the virus—exploring cheap or even free treatments targeted at the mouth and, ultimately, saving lives.”
“Gum disease makes the gums leakier, allowing microorganisms to enter into the blood,” he explained. “Simple measures—such as careful toothbrushing and interdental brushing to reduce plaque build-up, along with specific mouthwashes, or even saltwater rinsing to reduce gingival inflammation—could help decrease the virus’s concentration in saliva and help mitigate the development of lung disease and reduce the risk of deterioration to severe COVID-19.”
The researchers explained that their new model is based on the mouth being a breeding ground for the virus to thrive. It makes it easier for the virus to thrive and enter the bloodstream if there is any breach in oral immune defenses.
The virus then moves from blood vessels in the gums through the neck and chest veins, reaching the lungs and the heart.
“Gum disease makes the gums leakier, allowing microorganisms to enter into the blood.”Prof. Chapple said, “Studies are urgently required to further investigate this new model, but in the meantime, daily oral hygiene and plaque control will not only improve oral health and wellbeing, but could also be lifesaving in the context of the pandemic.” The article was published on Medical Xpress.
