Page 18 - Bulletin Vol 27 No 1 - Jan. - April 2022 FINAL

Research Article | COVID-19 & the Oral Cavity

A Survey of Clinical Correlations of Covid-19 Patient Symptoms Involving the Oral Cavity

By Samuel E. Kim, DMD, Sung Hyon Han, DMD, Jason Baker, DMD, Abdissa Negassa, PhD, Patrick J. Nolan, DDS
The researchers of this study did not receive any funding from any institution, project, or outside organization. There
were no financial benefits or affiliations to researchers for any product or item in the study. No tests, treatments or
products that have monetary value were formed from this study. No payments were given to persons participating
in the study and participants were notified prior to study invitation.

Abstract:

Introduction: The study investigated oral manifestations of Covid-19 and possible correlations between
systemic and oral symptoms.
Methods: A 19 item survey was emailed to persons who received a positive PCR test in the Montefiore
Health System in 2020.

Conclusion: Five hundred fifty-six patients completed the survey. Most respondents experienced no oral
symptoms (58.1%), while of those that did, the most common symptoms were dry mouth (19.5%) and tooth
pain (13.1%). Although no significant correlations between systemic and oral symptoms were found,
respondents who experienced two or more systemic symptoms experienced multiple new (p<0.0001) and
worsening oral symptoms (p=0.0034).

Introduction:
The novel Coronavirus-2019 (Covid-19) pandemic has had devastating effects on not only social norms, but the
medical world as well. With its rapid spread, a plethora of indistinct systemic symptoms such as cough, weakness,
1
fever, myalgia, impaired sense of smell and taste, and nasal congestion have been identified . Furthermore, with
more patient information becoming accessible, other local and systemic symptoms such as acute renal failure and
2
cardiac damage have also been explored . Based on the current information of WHO, there are 175,306,598
confirmed cases reported across all nations. Globally, 2,156,550,767 vaccines have been administered, which
encompasses less than about 0.3% of the world population. Although a full comprehensive understanding of this
chronic inflammatory virus remain incomplete, research has identified respiratory droplets and airborne
transmission as primary modes of transmission amongst many others such as fecal-oral, fomite and possibly vertical
3
transmission . Despite the oral cavity being a major gateway to the contraction of Covid-19, only few symptoms such
4
as dry mouth and aphthous-like lesions have been sparsely reported . The purpose of this questionnaire study was
to investigate the oral manifestations of the Covid-19 infection, and to observe possible clinical correlations between
systemic and oral manifestations in the Bronx, NY, one of the epicenters of the Covid-19 outbreak in the United
States.
Methods:

After approval from the institutional review board of the Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of
Medicine, a 19-item survey was formulated to gain information on Covid-19 systemic and oral symptom
manifestations and to explore possible symptom correlations. The study was investigational and descriptive in na-
ture due the relative novelty of the Covid-19 infection. The voluntary survey, which was prefaced with a statement
of informed consent prior to viewing the questionnaire, was sent via email to 6,218 persons listed in Montefiore
Health System who received a positive Covid-19 PCR result in the 2020 calendar year and responses were recorded
using an automated distribution and collection system provided by SurveyMonkey (San Mateo, CA).

18| Nassau County Dental Society ⬧ www.nassaudental.org