Oral manifestations in mild-to-moderate cases of COVID-19 viral infection in the adult population

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a serious worldwide threat presented by a broad range of symptoms, from mild flu to severe pneumonia. A rising number of atypical infections have been reported. Thus, scientists and clinicians are doing hard work to unravel scientific knowledge about this novel pandemic.

The aim of the present work was to highlight the oral manifestations which could be observed in mild-to-moderate cases of COVID-19.

A questionnaire survey was performed on 665 Egyptian patients who were confirmed COVID-19-positive based on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. After applying the exclusion criteria, cases with mild-to-moderate symptoms were included in the study. The questionnaire consisted of 4 sections. The 1st section included demographic data, smoking, alcohol consumption, and general health status. The 2nd section contained questions regarding the oral hygiene status of the patients, and additionally a question about the hygienic measures they took while being infected with COVID-19. The 3rd section included questions about the most commonly reported COVID-19 symptoms the patients suffered from. The 4th section included questions that referred to the oral manifestations the patients complained of while being infected with COVID-19.

A total of 573 patients were included in this survey. It was reported that 71.7% of COVID-19 patients presented with some oral manifestations at a level of significance, with variable incidence - oral or dental pain (23%), pain in jaw bones or joint (12.0%), halitosis (10.5%), ulcerations (20.4%), and xerostomia (47.6%). Some patients (28.3%) showed 2 or 3 manifestations simultaneously.

It was proven that mild-to-moderate cases of COVID-19 infection are associated with oral symptoms, and thus the significance of dental examination of patients with communicable diseases should be emphasized.