Summary
In order to know the presence of specific clinical manifestations of COVID-19 in the oral cavity and describe the oral health status of the patients, a basic oral examination was performed on 99 patients with COVID-19 admitted to the Critical Patient Unit (UPC) and in other facilities of the Dr. Sótero del Río Hospital in Santiago during July 2020. Of the total of patients, 51 were in critical condition with mechanical ventilation (IMV), average age 55 years and 48 were without IMV, with 66 years on average, the majority were male, with 25.5 % of women with IMV and 37 % without IMV, Hypertension was the most frequent systemic morbidity among patients followed by Diabetes Mellitus and Obesity both among those in IMV and without it. With regard to oral health, the predominance of ulcerative and erosive lesions was observed in 57 % of people in IMV, however, the number of lesions and their clinical pattern, was nonspecific. The high frequency of dry mouth also stands out, reaching 54 % in critically ill patients and 34 % in less serious ones, the paleness of the mucous membranes and the clinical appearance of the tongue were striking. The presence of periodontal inflammation could be clinically seen, but it was not possible to determine the level of insertion, nor evaluate the patients, with X-rays being only an approximate fact. The teeth were generally in regular state coinciding to what is seen in this population group in Chile. The presence of specific COVID-19 lesions could not be determined in this study group.
KEY WORDS: COVID-19, oral manifestaciones.
How to cite this article
PALACIOS, I. V.; SQUELLA, J. C. & DOWLING, S. F. Oral health status of a sample of COVID-19 patients from the Dr. Sótero del Río Hospital, Santiago de Chile. Int. J. Odontostomat., 15(4):1026-1034, 2021.
