Future Challenges of Covid-19 and Oral Manifestations in Daily Dental Practice: A Literature Review

OBJECTIVE: Some patients reportedly present with oral manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). It is unknown if this is due to the virus itself or a side effect of treatment; however, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 has been shown to have a predilection for angiotensin-converting enzyme receptors that are present in the respiratory tract, oral mucosa, tongue, and salivary glands, causing alterations in taste and smell. Therefore, the objective of this review was to present the future challenges of Covid-19 and oral manifestations in daily dental practice through a literature review. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Scientific evidence in the databases Scopus and PubMed was searched using the Boolean operators. Articles published in Spanish and English between January and December 2020 were included. RESULTS: Of the 89 articles found in Scopus, 69 were of the open access type and 20 were in the “others” category; only 22 scientific articles were found in PubMed. CONCLUSION: It is important to take into account these clinical manifestations such as loss of taste and smell in order to detect the disease. Good oral hygiene is also recommended as a preventive measure to reduce viral load, which considerably reduces the probability of infecting other people who are in contact with the infected patient.