Dental calculus - An emerging bio resource for past SARS CoV2 detection, studying its evolution and relationship with oral microflora

Anoop Kaur Boparai; Ashish Jain; Suraj Arora; Shahabe Abullais Saquib; Nabeeh Abdullah Alqahtani; Mohamed Fadul A Elagib; Vishakha Grover

doi:10.1016/j.jksus.2023.102646

Dental calculus - An emerging bio resource for past SARS CoV2 detection, studying its evolution and relationship with oral microflora

J King Saud Univ Sci. 2023 May;35(4):102646. doi: 10.1016/j.jksus.2023.102646. Epub 2023 Mar 18.

Authors

Anoop Kaur Boparai¹, Ashish Jain², Suraj Arora³, Shahabe Abullais Saquib⁴, Nabeeh Abdullah Alqahtani⁵, Mohamed Fadul A Elagib⁶, Vishakha Grover²

Affiliations

¹ Dr. Harvansh Singh Judge Institute of Dental Sciences & Hospital, India.
² Department of Periodontology & Oral Implantology, Dr. H. S. J. lnstitute Dental Sciences & Hospital, Punjab University, Chandigarh, India.
³ Department of Restorative Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, King Khalid University, Abha 61321, Saudi Arabia.
⁴ Periodontics and Community Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, King Khalid University, Abha 61321, Saudi Arabia.
⁵ Department of Periodontics and Community Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, King Khalid University, Abha 61321, Saudi Arabia.
⁶ PCS Department, College of Dentistry, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

The most grievous threat to human health has been witnessed worldwide with the recent outbreak of Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19). There is mounting evidence available regarding theconnect of COVID -19 and oral cavity, particularly periodontal disease. The current review provides an update on the diagnostic potential of dental calculus and how this bio resource may help in providing us huge amount of diagnostic regarding the causative virus. Contemporary standard method of diagnosis via nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) is tedious, may enhance the risk of aerosol contamination by inducing sneezing and detects the presence of active infection only.However,dental calculus being a mineralized deposit serves as a reservoir for biomoleculesand provides detection of past SARS CoV2 infection. Further, the abundance of information that can be obtained from this remarkable mineralized deposit on teeth regarding the viral genome, its evolution and interactions with the oral microflora shall enhance the understanding of the viral disease process and its connection with the periodontal disease. Additional diagnostic information, which may be obtained from this simple bio reservoir can complement the contemporary diagnostic strategies adopted in the management of COVID-19pandemic and enhance our existing knowledge for developing improvised novel approaches to mitigate the effects of mutated variants of the infectious agent.

Keywords: COVID-19; Calculus; Diagnosis; Evolution; Nasopharyngeal swabs.; Periodontal Diseases; SARS CoV2; Saliva.

Publication types

Review