The JADA study found that patients with long COVID may have symptoms or be on medications that affect oral health care treatments.

A recent study published in the Journal of the American Dental Association examines how oral health care professionals should treat patients with long-term persistent COVID-19 symptoms.

Study authors Katherine France, DMD, MBE, and Michael Glick, DMD, researched available literature on long COVID. The authors focused on how long COVID could affect oral health care and how treatments should be modified to care for patients with long COVID.

Symptoms of long COVID include fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pain, risk of developing thromboembolism, and neurologic and psychiatric complications.

According to the study, anywhere from 10% to 87% of people who contract COVID-19 report having at least one ongoing symptom that lasts after the initial infection. 

The study found that many patients with long COVID may have symptoms or be on medications for their symptoms that affect dosages and treatment options in an oral health care setting.

While symptoms, severity, and impact of long COVID can vary from person to person, the study states that with familiarity and ongoing attention to the literature about long COVID, oral health care professionals will be able to properly evaluate and treat these chronic patients.

The study recommends that oral health care professionals thoroughly evaluate patient history and current status to understand how long COVID symptoms can affect treatment to provide safe and appropriate care.

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