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Updated: Jul 5, 2025

Oral Health Assessment by Lay Personnel for Older Adults
Published on: February 2, 2020
COVID-19 on Oral Health: A New Bilateral Connection for the Pandemic
Luigi Bellocchio1, Gianna Dipalma2, Angelo Michele Inchingolo2
1INSERM, U1215 NeuroCentre Magendie, Endocannabinoids and Neuroadaptation, University of Bordeaux, 33063 Bordeaux, France.
Abstract:
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and transmission are generally known to be produced by respiratory droplets and aerosols from the oral cavity (O.C.) of infected subjects, as stated by the World Health Organization. Saliva also retains the viral particles and aids in the spread of COVID-19. Angiotensin-converting enzyme Type 2 (ACE2) and transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2) are two of the numerous factors that promote SARS-CoV-2 infection, expressed by O.C. structures, various mucosa types, and the epithelia of salivary glands. A systemic SARS-CoV-2 infection might result from viral replication in O.C. cells. On the other hand, cellular damage of different subtypes in the O.C. might be associated with various clinical signs and symptoms. Factors interfering with SARS-CoV-2 infection potential might represent fertile ground for possible local pharmacotherapeutic interventions, which may confine SARS-CoV-2 virus entry and transmission in the O.C., finally representing a way to reduce COVID-19 incidence and severity.
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