Can Long COVID Cause Dental Issues Like Your Teeth To Fall Out?

Leaving home to go to work, or uni or school was normal. Having friends and family over was usual. Walking out the door any time you liked to go to the shops, the park the gym, the beach – or just outside – was routine. Exercise of any kind, including taking the dog for a run was frequently a non-eventful event.

We quickly learned how much we’d taken for granted. Meeting people for coffee. Grabbing one on the way to or from somewhere. Feeling privileged being able to work from home on occasion. The pandemic changed almost every aspect of the way we lived, the way we died, and certainly the way we dealt with death.

All these years later, psychologically, economically, educationally and medically the fallout continues – and for some, it seems that fallout includes their teeth.

The coronavirus was certainly little understood when it first appeared. Its source is still heavily debated, and the learning is yet to stop.

Long COVID has since been recognised; its astounding list of more than 200 symptoms has some US experts define it as an infection-associated chronic condition. There’s no test for it, and part of its identification is that symptoms have persisted for three months. Adding to its confounding diagnosis, there is no universal definition, and any and all of its extensive indications can stay the same, worsen, disappear or come back.

It’s a challenging disorder to define, detect and treat.

To date, research is yet to characterise what exactly causes this long-term illness. Broadly, theories comprise: disruption to the immune system’s communication ability; vagus nerve interference; the activation of other viruses in the body, and disturbances to the gut ecosystem and microbiome.

One commonality in all the research is that long COVID is more prevalent in women of any age, than it is in men. For those with cardiovascular disease prior to contracting the virus, the risk may be higher – and the exact number of people experiencing long COVID symptoms is unclear.

Amid the vagary, there is no question that the pandemic had a hugely negative impact on dentists and their patients. There were worldwide suspensions of services; and the added PPE supply chain issue. Tens upon tens of millions of appointments and treatments were cancelled and delayed. Globally, oral health was jeopardised and from both a patient and practitioner perspective, has basically struggled to be regained.

Though there is yet to be rigorous evidence that long or post-COVID can create tooth loss, the relationship has been suggested because many sufferers have reported teeth having fallen out with no blood and no pain. One theory is that the coronavirus damages blood vessels in the gum and dental pulp.

Another consideration is that that those with debilitating symptoms are not as able to maintain their oral health as before.

It’s highly unusual for a tooth to fall out without any blood; which offers credibility to the notion of there being something altered in the blood vessels.

Several forums provide online support for those experiencing long COVID symptoms, and there are numerous discussions and self-reporting of not only tooth loss, but chipping, grey discolouration and gum sensitivity for no discernible reason.

Research carried out by Spanish scientists within the first year of the outbreak resulted in identifying other potential side-effects of the virus. Clumsiness, and lesions on the feet were linked to the infectious disease; as well as abnormal, rash-like tissue damage on the inside of the mouth.

Statistically, to May 2023 there have been more than 660 million cases of COVID-19 worldwide. In the UK alone, it’s been estimated that as many 1-in-5 of the population has had the infection; and of that, 1-in-50 risks dealing with the difficulties and discomfort of long COVID – which may or may not include the unforeseen loss of teeth.

Ongoing biomedical research is still assessing the epidemiology, pathology, symptoms, and risk factors impacting oral health. The pandemic often seems in the past, and for countless people, for a myriad of reasons its presence remains part of their future.

Whether or not long COVID is eventually proven to be responsible for early tooth loss, the only way to have as optimal dental health as possible is to maintain regular appointments with your dentist and adhere to their advice and recommendations.

It might feel a bit like getting back to normal.

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Note: All content and media on the  Sunbury Dental House website and social media channels are created and published online for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice and should not be relied on as health or personal advice.

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