IF YOU SEE THIS IN YOUR MOUTH, YOU COULD BE INFECTED WITH COVID-19
Dr. Spiker Davis D.D.S. 713-781-2800 Dr. Matt Guerre D.D.S. 713-781-2800
In collaboration with Dr. John Seger M.D. Cardiologist 713-791-9444
As you know, I am sick and tired of this virus. You also know that I believe the mouth is the “WINDOW TO YOUR HEALTH”. Now that we have been dealing with this Virus for over a year, there are a lot of things that we are learning and as your PALEO Dentist I wanted to let you in on some things that dentists and physicians are beginning to recognize. If you see any of the symptoms listed below it could be a possible indication that you have Covid-19. However, some of these symptoms are common and NOT a sign of Covid-19. Check it out!
I am always amazed at how many people never look in their mouth just to see what is normal. I encourage you to go to the mirror right now and maybe even take a few photos with your cell phone of what is normal. Then check it at least once a month to see if anything has changed.
DRY MOUTH- As we have mentioned many times in this blog, dry mouth can be a serious problem for your mouth leading to lots of cavities and gum disease. The number one cause of dry mouth is a reaction to medications you are taking. However, the September issue of the Ear, Nose and Throat Journal considers dry mouth to be a symptom of the Covid-19.
WHITE TONGUE– Some people develop a white coating on their tongue and this can be from things like smoking and fungus infections. Apparently inflammation from the Virus can cause an inflammatory response in different tissues and organs such as the tongue. If you brush your tongue and the white color goes away, it is probably not from the virus.
MOUTH ULCERS AND A RASH– Mouth ulcers are common for many people but most of us do not experience them on a regular basis. Apparently ulcers and a mouth rash can appear up to 2 days before other symptoms of Covid-19 show up. Rashes and ulcers are also common in other virus infections such as chickenpox.
LOSS OF TASTE OR A METALIC TASTE- One of my nieces got the virus very early on like in February of 2020 and first complaint was lack of taste. She couldn’t taste anything. Her other symptoms were somewhat mild and she did not end up in the hospital, but the lack of taste lingered for several months.
GUM DISEASE OR BLEEDING GUMS– Keep flossing, brushing and avoid sugar. Several new studies find that gum disease may drastically raise your chances of hospitalization or death from COVID-19. Over half of adults in the U.S. have some form of gum disease and over 70% of senior citizens have gum disease. One study I read said that many doctors now consider gum disease as comorbidity just like diabetes and lung conditions. Whatever the case, we don’t want to go to the hospital and gum disease is important to overall health.
SUMMARY-In my opinion, we should all do a better job of taking care of our oral health, especially until we get this virus under control. Make sure you are flossing, brushing and avoiding sugar. One step that the government just announced is that dentists are now allowed to give the vaccine for Covid-19. Of course there are lots of government regulations and we don’t know what those are yet. My hope is, that dentists will be allowed to carry the virus in their offices since it works well for storage in regular refrigerator.
“THE MOUTH IS THE WINDOW TO YOUR HEALTH”. BRUSH AND FLOSS TWICE DAILY, AVOID SUGAR FOR 2021 AND SEE YOUR DENTIST AND PHYSICIAN ON A REGULAR BASIS.
Spiker Davis D.D.S. spiker@thepaleodentist.com John Seger M.D. Matt Guerre D.D.S.
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RANT AND RAVE-I am so frustrated with how many people will spend hours per day to make their house be perfectly neat and organized with belts and socks all in a neat little row or bundle and they can’t spend 4 minutes twice a day to floss and brush. It affects how long you live and the quality of your life! Does rolling socks do that!
STAY SAFE. WORRY ABOUT NOTHING AND PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING.