20 Feb 2021 - 9:41
The Peninsula
Doha: More commonly known as gum disease, periodontitis is a severe gum infection characterised by chronic inflammation, whose patients may be at greater risk if exposed to COVID-19.
A research team spearheaded by Dr. Nadia Maarouf, Associate Consultant from Hamad Dental Center, and led by Dr. Faleh Tamimi, Professor at Qatar University’s (QU) College of Dental Medicine, has demonstrated that there may be a strong association between COVID-19 and oral health.
While speaking on his research about patients with (periodontitis), Dr. Faleh said: “In our study, we assessed the dental records of patients that have been infected with COVID-19. We discovered that a substantial portion of the patients that suffered severe COVID-19 complications (including death) had chronic gum infections, also known as periodontal disease. Our study concludes that there is a strong association between the severity of COVID-19 and the presence of periodontitis.”