Awareness Among Dentists Regarding Oral Manifestations Of Post Covid 19 Disease: An Observational Crossectional Study In Central India

Background: It is very important to increase awareness and understanding of oral manifestations of post COVID-19 disease among dentists which can happen by continuing education and training for dentists to recognize and manage oral manifestations of post COVID-19 disease. Aims & objectives: The aim of this is to aware dentists regarding oral manifestation of covid 19 disease. The objectives of study were to assess the level of awareness, understanding and factors influencing awareness among dentists regarding oral manifestations of post COVID-19 disease. Evaluate the of oral manifestations of post COVID-19 among dentists in central India. Methodology: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was carried out among COVID-19 recovered patients. A sample of 100 subjects, diagnosed as mild and moderate cases of COVID-19 disease were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. A well-structured questionnaire composed of total 21 Closed ended questions was send to sunjects. Result(s): The study comprised an almost equal number of male (54%) and female (48%) participants and among them, 47% belong to the health professional group. A total of 56% of subjects were aged above 35 years and 47% below 35 years. Xerostomia, frequent aphthous ulcers, swallowing difficulty, and burning mouth were the most frequently encountered symptoms in study subjects during the disease and post recovery. Conclusion(s): In the present study, dentists were found to have good knowledge toward novel corona virus disease with optimum preparedness level for dental practice modification. Dental fraternity is further advised to follow the standard guidelines overcoming this pandemic.Copyright © 2022 Authors. All rights reserved.

Candidiasis and Other Bacterial Infections among Patients Diagnosed with Burning Mouth Syndrome.

Background and Objectives: Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a state in which a patient experiences intraoral burning or a dysesthetic sensation without clinically evident causative lesions in the oropharyngeal area. The disorder is linked to a variety of conditions, including dry mouth, Candida, and bacterial infections. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of oral Candida and/or bacterial infections among patients with BMS and whether they have an effect on pain/burning and salivary flow levels. Objectives: (1) Gather patient data regarding the presence of oral infections, dry mouth, and pain levels in the morning, afternoon, and evening periods; (2) data analysis and assessment to determine medians, means, frequencies, correlations, and statistically significant differences between patient groups. Materials and Methods: Overall, 173 patients (23 males and 150 females) with BMS and 13 controls (five males and eight females) took part in the study. We measured pain/burning levels, unstimulated and stimulated salivary flow, the percentage of patients infected with Candida species and/or bacterial species, and the said species growth in Petri dishes. Results: Candida albicans was the most commonly found infection among patients with BMS (n = 28, 16.2%). Overall, 21.4% patients with BMS were diagnosed with either C. albicans or another Candida species. Enterobacter had the richest growth among patients with BMS (7.5% out of the infected 10.4% BMS patients). No statistical significance could be noted between the existence of either Candida species or bacterial species infections and changes in pain/burning and salivary flow levels. Negative correlations were noted between age and unstimulated and stimulated salivary flow, and positive correlations were noted between age and Candida andspecific bacteria species' growth levels. Conclusions: Although patients with present bacterial or Candida infections showed a marginal increase in pain/burning levels, no direct statistically significant associations could be made between the presence of Candida species or other bacteria and the symptoms among patients with BMS.

Comparison of Clonazepam and Tongue Protector in the Treatment of Burning Mouth Syndrome.

BACKGROUND: BMS is a chronic pain syndrome affecting the oral mucosa. It consists of experiencing a burning or dysesthetic sensation. BMS prevalence varies, with up to 15% among women. An effective treatment is still unattainable. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 60 patients with BMS qualified for a randomised trial, divided in two groups: the clonazepam-treated and tongue protector group. Treatment was provided for 4 weeks in both groups. In the former, the oral dosage of clonazepam 0.5 mg; in the latter, a tongue protector was used. Clinical oral examination was performed, and the presence of taste disorder and pain intensity, on the visual analogues scale, were recorded. Psychological domains were explored with the Beck depression inventory (depression), Athens insomnia scale (insomnia), Eyesenck personality questionnaire-revised (personality traits), and WHO quality of life questionnaire (quality of life). RESULTS: Complete recovery was observed in three patients after clonazepam and one patient after tongue guard treatment. A greater improvement in the VAS scores, from baseline to the control values, was demonstrated in the clonazepam group, and it was statistically significant. In women, the level of depression significantly correlated with all domains of quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: BMS is an ongoing multi-specialist challenge. The development of new pathophysiological concepts of BMS offers hope for more effective treatment. Considering the influence of BMS on the quality of life and mental disorders in most patients, further research on the possibilities of therapy seems to be very important.

CLINICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF SARS-COV-2 INFECTION IN BURNING-MOUTH SYNDROME PATIENTS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY

Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a chronic disease characterized by the presence of persistent oral mucosa pain, mainly burning sensation without any detectable clinical cause or modified general investigations. Coronavims infections, in some patients, caused sensations of oral burning, of a neuropathic nature, which mimicked the symptoms of BMS. In addition, the psychiatric manifestations associated with the COVID-19 pandemic have exacerbated the symptoms of patients already diagnosed with burning mouth syndrome. Based on these observations, we conducted a longitudinal study to assess the changes in depressive and anxiety symptoms in BMS patients during the pandemics. We recruited two groups of age and gender-matched BMS patients. The first group included patients with BMS diagnosed with coronavirus infection and the second one without coronavims infection. The study concluded that in patients with coronavims infection there was an intensification of anxiety-depressive symptoms more pronounced in the first 6 months after infection (duration being associated with the infection severity and long-COVID symptoms), followed by a recurrence or even decrease in symptoms compared to the initial examination Oral symptomatology had a similar evolution, the intensity being determined by the severity of the COVID-19 infection episode and by the prolonged use of antivirals. The lack of a larger number of studies and patients with BMS and COVID-19 infection limited the possibility of comparative analyses.

Dysgeusia: A review in the context of COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Taste disorders in general, and dysgeusia in particular, are relatively common disorders that may be a sign of a more complex acute or chronic medical condition. During the COVID-19 pandemic, taste disorders have found their way into the realm of general as well as specialty dentistry, with significance in screening for patients who potentially may have the virus. TYPES OF STUDIES REVIEWED: The authors searched electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Google Scholar) for studies focused on dysgeusia, ageusia, and other taste disorders and their relationship to local and systemic causes. RESULTS: The authors found pertinent literature explaining the normal physiology of taste sensation, proposals for suggested new tastes, presence of gustatory receptors in remote tissues of the body, and etiology and pathophysiology of taste disorders, in addition to the valuable knowledge gained about gustatory disorders in the context of COVID-19. Along with olfactory disorders, taste disorders are one of the earliest suggestive symptoms of COVID-19 infection. CONCLUSIONS: Gustatory disorders are the result of local or systemic etiology or both. Newer taste sensations, such as calcium and fat tastes, have been discovered, as well as taste receptors that are remote from the oropharyngeal area. Literature published during the COVID-19 pandemic to date reinforces the significance of early detection of potential patients with COVID-19 by means of screening for recent-onset taste disorders. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Timely screening and identification of potential gustatory disorders are paramount for the dental care practitioner to aid in the early diagnosis of COVID-19 and other serious systemic disorders.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic upon patients with burning mouth syndrome.

INTRODUCTION: The global COVID-19 pandemic has caused changes in the daily life of people, with a particularly relevant impact upon certain groups of individuals that have difficulties in facing stress. A study is made of the impact of the pandemic upon patients with burning mouth syndrome (BMS). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 40 patients with BMS diagnosed in the Unit of Oral Medicine (University of Murcia, Spain) were included. In all cases the study comprised a standardized clinical interview by the same professional and an exploration of the oral cavity. The first visit took place before the pandemic and consisted of the evaluation of anxiety (Hospital and Anxiety Depression Scale [HADS]), the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), pain intensity (visual analog scale [VAS]) and sleep quality (Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index [PSQI]), while the second visit took place one and a half months after the start of lockdown due to the pandemic in Spain. RESULTS: The study sample consisted of 36 women (90%) and four men (10%) aged between 39 and s86 years. Statistically significant differences were recorded between the two visits in terms of anxiety (p < 0.001), sleep quality (p < 0.001) and pain intensity (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The appearance of the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered worsening of anxiety, sleep quality and pain intensity in patients with BMS.