Yet to heal the wounds of the earthquake disaster, our beloved country had to fight the Covid-19 epidemic as the common fate of the whole world. We need not to be caught up in this bad news and brooding, and instead adapt to the changing conditions as soon as we can. It is imperative for every individual to fulfill their duty with more seriousness and devotion than ever.

In this context, both in the earthquake disaster and then after, during the pandemic, our entire health system, from our minister of health and top to bottom, has stood as one and has shown successful reflexes. Our dentists have actively participated in filiation teams in places such as Istanbul, where cases are immense, doing their part. Our physicians who supported this war in their own ranks did not hinder emergency dental treatment services and made a positive contribution to this dangerous process by raising awareness.  

Why is oral health important during this process?

One of the first information we obtained about the Covid 19 virus is that it clings to the mouth and nasal mucosa and passes to the lungs from there. So, as in many other diseases, it all begins in the mouth. Many bacteria and fungi live in the oral environment in a certain balance. When this balance is disrupted for any reason, diseases occur first in the mouth environment and then in other parts of the body. The Covid 19 virus finds a suitable environment to incubate in the mouth.

One of the most important warnings is that we stay home and stay away from hospitals as much as possible. The key to achieving this is to take care of our health. Oral and dental health is critical in this regard.

Again, in a statement by the World Health Organization in the first days of the pandemic, which they then changed, they informed that some painkillers and a group of NSAID drugs negatively affected our immune system against the coronavirus. Consideing the unconscious use of drugs and poor oral hygiene in our society, we see that oral health itself is a risk factor for the coronavirus.

Considering all of this, we get the following table:

 We need to pay attention to our oral hygiene

So that we can protect ourselves from factors leading to disease that settle in the mouth, particularly the coronavirus.
So that we do not have to visit risky places such as hospitals and oral and dental health centers due to dental problems that may occur in a bad mouth.
So that we do not have to use drugs that are said to have negative effects on our immune system.
So that our resistance does not get weaker due to an infection in the mouth and teeth.
So that our oral and dental problems do not negatively affect our nutrition. So that we do not get deprived of the nutrients and vitamins we need.
 

What must we do when faced with a problem, even if we paid maximum attention to our oral and dental health?

First, when we encounter a problem like severe pain, swelling of the face or teeth, infection or inflammatory discharge in the mouth, persistent bleeding, or fever and weakness accompanying toothache, we need to know that it is urgent and contact the nearest dentist. We should never use antibiotics, painkillers, or similar drugs without physician control. We should seek intervention with the least risk in a clinic where the necessary precautions are taken. The emergency needs to be overcome and then oral health should be brought back to ideal conditions with treatment deemed appropriate by a dentist. 

Apart from these cases, in less urgent problems, it should be monitored whether the problem is resolved by brushing our teeth more effectively and regularly and gargling with salt water. If it does not go away and progresses, it is necessary to apply to a dentist again.
In conclusion, our oral and dental health, which many of us ignore, remains an underestimated issue in the coronavirus process. However, this process seems to change many things in our lives, as well as our view of oral and dental health. As we all very well know, "health starts in the mouth."

Our great city and nation will survive these days. It is not time to despair.

Take care...

Dt. Muhammed Enes Polat