In recent months, one of the most commonly heard words everywhere is Covid-19 disease. This disease has affected the life of many people both directly and indirectly. Several people have succumbed to this disease, some are still suffering from it, while many have recovered successfully.

The Covid-19 disease is mainly infecting the lungs of a person that causes other health issues too. Various precautions are advised by the doctors to avoid getting infected from it. However, one such concerning part of Covid-19 disease is its effect on oral health and vice-versa. Many examples have shown the effect of both on each other.

Why is keeping dental health better is important?

Your mouth is the entry gate for the food you eat or fluid you drink. So, they must be in good condition so that eating or drinking can never be a problem. Poor maintenance of dental health causes different problems like teeth decay, tooth decay, painful treatment process, gum disease, etc. When there is tooth decay beyond a limit, it becomes difficult to treat and teeth removal becomes inevitable.

However, every dental expert wants to avoid the removal of the teeth and preserve it with some treatment. However, treatment of the more decayed teeth is also a very painful process. A healthy and hygienic living can be easily achieved by maintaining proper dental health. A person must try to get more proper knowledge on keeping dental health in a nice condition. Proper dental health also helps to achieve better overall health.

How are oral health and Corona related?

As Corona is a new disease that the world has never experienced, very little was known about its effect on oral health. However, some of the recent examples and research have shown some minor co-relations between oral health and Corona.

Here are some of the few relations between oral health and Corona:

• There are different oral bacteria like Porphyromonas gingivalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum that cause infection to the lungs of the individual. The combination of these bacteria along with Corona causes more bacteria load infecting the Covid patient more.
• Corona is also found to be infecting the salivary glands of the individual. The decrease of the saliva from the mouth is problematic, as it has some anti-bacterial properties. The decrease in saliva increases the bacteria level in the mouth which then infects the lungs that are more vulnerable to coronavirus.
• A person suffering from gum diseases like Gingivitis and Periodontitis has more bacteria levels in the mouth. It further makes a person more susceptible to viral disease like corona that can easily affect the lungs of the person.
• A person having oral issues gets more attacked by the SARS-CoV-2 that easily affects the lungs of the person.

In this way, corona and oral health are impacting each other in different ways. Taking proper precautions for oral health is extremely important to minimize the possibility of corona infection.

What precautions can we take?

Precautions to take related to oral health:

• Daily brushing twice a day is a primarily important activity for oral health. Brushing in the morning and brushing at night before going to sleep will help to clean the mouth with the proper removal of most of the food particles in the teeth. It also removes plaque and other unwanted bacteria from the teeth.
• Flossing once a day will help to remove the smaller food particles from complex teeth areas and also remove the plaque layer from the teeth.
• Avoid eating very sweet and sticky food that gets stuck on the teeth which gathers many bacteria. These bacteria are further responsible for the decay in the teeth.
• Using the proper toothbrush is also essential to ensure that the brushing of the teeth is done properly. It is recommended that the brush must be changed after every six-month interval.
• Dental check-ups after every six months are very important to know the oral issues properly. It will help to minimize dental problems properly.

Precautions to take to avoid corona:

• Wearing the mask outside the house is primarily important to prevent the corona.
• Keep washing your hands frequently.
• Use sanitizers after touching objects outside.
• Avoid going in the huge crowd where the possibility of the corona spread is more.
• When you come across any of the symptoms of the corona, visit the doctor immediately.
• Do not Spit outside as it can increase the spread of coronavirus.

Although Covid-19 has changed different things in the world, efforts are still going to minimize its adverse effect. If some person has got corona then proactive precautions must be taken to not transmit it to other people. Rather than fearing, people must take the possible precautions to avoid corona infections. Understanding the importance of the corona effect on oral health and vice-versa, it is really important to take special care of oral health.