Introduction: COVID-19 has had a huge impact on society and healthcare and it has been suggested that people with periodontal disease are at risk of having worse outcomes from the disease. The aim of this study was to quantify the impact of periodontal disease on hospital admission and mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic.Materials and Methods: The study extracted UK Biobank participants who had taken a COVID-19 test between March and June 2020 (n = 13,253), of which 1,616 were COVID-19 positive (12%) and 11,637 were COVID-19 negative (88%). Self-reported oral health indicators of painful or bleeding gums and loose teeth were used as surrogates for periodontal disease, participants who did not report any of the aforementioned indicators were used as controls. Multivariable logistic regressions were used to obtain crude and adjusted odds ratios of COVID-19 infection, subsequent hospital admission and mortality adjusted for demographics, BMI, biomarkers, lifestyle and co-morbidities.Results: Painful gums, bleeding gums and loose teeth were reported in 2.7, 11.2 and 3.3% of participants with COVID-19 infection, respectively. Risk of COVID-19 infection in participants with painful or bleeding gums and loose teeth compared to controls was not increased (odds ratio [OR]: 1.10, 95% CI: 0.72–1.69; OR: 1.15, 95% CI: 0.84–1.59). COVID-19 positive participants with painful or bleeding gums had a higher risk of mortality (OR: 1.71, 95% CI: 1.05–2.72) but not hospital admission (OR: 0.90, 95% CI: 0.59–1.37). Participants with loose teeth did not show higher risk of hospital admission or mortality compared to the control group (OR = 1.55, 95% CI: 0.87–2.77; OR: 1.85; 95% CI: 0.92–2.72).Conclusion: There was insufficient evidence to link periodontal disease with an increased risk of COVID-19 infection. However, amongst the COVID-19 positive, there was significantly higher mortality for participants with periodontal disease. Utilization of linked dental and hospital patient records would improve the understanding of the impact of periodontal disease on COVID-19 related outcomes.

This study aims to examine the impact of periodontal disease in obesity on COVID-19 infection and associated outcomes. This retrospective longitudinal study included 58,897 UK Biobank participants tested for COVID-19 between March 2020 and February 2021. Self-reported oral health indicators (bleeding gums, painful gums, and loose teeth) were used as surrogates for periodontal disease. Body fat levels were quantified by body mass index (BMI) and categorized as normal weight (18.5 to 24.9 kg/m2), overweight (25 to 29.9 kg/m2), and obese (≥30 kg/m2). Multivariable logistic regression and Cox proportional hazard models were used to quantify risk of COVID-19 infection, hospital admission, and mortality, adjusted for participants’ demographics and covariates. Of 58,897 participants, 14,466 (24.6%) tested positive for COVID-19 infection. COVID-19 infection was higher for participants who were overweight (odds ratio, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.12 to 1.24) and obese (odds ratio, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.26 to 1.41) as compared with those of normal weight, but infection was not affected by periodontal disease. The hospital admission rate was 57% higher (hazard ratio, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.25 to 1.97) in the obese group with periodontal disease than without periodontal disease, and admission rates increased with BMI category (normal weight, 4.4%; overweight, 6.8%; obese, 10.1%). Mortality rates also increased with BMI category (normal weight, 1.9%; overweight, 3.17%; obese, 4.5%). In addition, for participants with obesity, the mortality rate was much higher (hazard ratio, 3.11; 95% CI, 1.91 to 5.06) in participants with periodontal disease than those without. Obesity is associated with higher hospitalization and mortality rates, and periodontal disease may exacerbate this impact. The results could inform health providers, policy makers, and the general public of the importance to maintain good oral health through seamless provision of dental services and public oral health prevention initiatives.

There is a potential risk that orthodontic brackets can become dislodged into the aerodigestive tract. This case illustrates the management of an orthodontic bracket, which became embedded in the deep tissues of the oropharynx. We aim to highlight the potential risk misplaced dental instruments and materials pose, including that they may become embedded in the soft tissues of the throat and suggest that that this possibility should be considered when they cannot be localized.

Decontamination documents, such as HTM 01-05, need a revision to include resource use.Single-use instruments should only be used if they offer significant risk (patient safety/environmental resource use) benefit.Clinicians should follow decontamination guidance but question where appropriate unnecessary resource use.

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