Mobile Teeth and Covid- Is Corona Virus causing your teeth to fall out?

This is an excerpt from an article in the New York Times by Wudan Yan.

People who already have dental problems may see them aggravated by encounters with the coronavirus, some experts suggest. Some Covid survivors say loose teeth have fallen out without bleeding. Others claim their gums are more sensitive, or that their teeth are turning grey or chipping.

Earlier this month, Farah Khemili popped a wintergreen breath mint in her mouth and noticed a strange sensation: a bottom tooth wiggling against her tongue.Ms. Khemili, 43, of Voorheesville, N.Y., had never lost an adult tooth. She touched the tooth to confirm it was loose, initially thinking the problem might be the mint. The next day, the tooth flew out of her mouth and into her hand. There was neither blood nor pain.Ms. Khemili survived a bout with Covid-19 this spring, and has joined an online support group as she has endured a slew of symptoms experienced by many other “long haulers”: brain fog, muscle aches and nerve pain.

There’s no rigorous evidence yet that the infection can lead to tooth loss or related problems. But among members of her support group, she found others who also described teeth falling out, as well as sensitive gums and teeth turning gray or chipping.

She and other survivors unnerved by Covid’s well-documented effects on the circulatory system, as well as symptoms such as swollen toes and hair loss, suspect a connection to tooth loss as well. But some dentists, citing a lack of data, are skeptical that Covid-19 alone could cause dental symptoms. While Ms. Khemili had become more diligent about her dental care, she had a history of dental issues before contracting the coronavirus. When she went to the dentist the day after her tooth came out, he found that her gums were not infected but she had significant bone loss from when she used to smoke.

The new coronavirus wreaks havoc by binding to the ACE2 protein, which is ubiquitous in the human body. Not only is it found in the lungs, but also on nerve and endothelial cells. Therefore, Dr. Li says, it’s possible that the virus has damaged the blood vessels that keep the teeth alive in Covid-19 survivors; that also may explain why those who have lost their teeth feel no pain. It’s also possible that the widespread immune response, known as a cytokine storm, may be manifesting in the mouth.

“If a Covid long hauler’s reaction is in the mouth, it’s a defense mechanism against the virus,” said Dr. Michael Scherer, a prosthodontist in Sonora, Calif. Other inflammatory health conditions, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, he said, also correlate with gum disease in the same patients.“Gum disease is very sensitive to hyper-inflammatory reactions, and Covid long haulers certainly fall into that category,” Dr. Scherer said.

Dentists haven’t seen many of these cases, and some dismiss these individual claims. But physicians like Dr. Li say Covid-19’s surprises require that the profession be on the lookout for unexpected consequences of the disease.“Patients may be bringing in new findings,” he said, and physicians and dentists need to cooperate on understanding the effects of long-term Covid-19 on teeth.

For now, Ms. Khemili hopes her story may serve as a cautionary tale. If people aren’t taking the proper precautions to protect themselves from the coronavirus, “they could be looking at something like this.”