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While Ms Khemili had become more diligent in her dental care, she had a history of dental problems before contracting the coronavirus. When she went to the dentist the day after her tooth came out, he found that her gums were not infected but that she had significant bone loss from smoking. He referred Ms. Khemili to a specialist for reconstruction. The dental procedure will likely cost him just under $ 50,000.
On the very day that Ms Khemili’s tooth fell out, her partner took to Survivor Corp, a Facebook page for people who have experienced Covid-19. There, he discovered that Diana Berrent, the founder of the page, was reporting that her 12-year-old son had lost one of his adult teeth, months after having had a mild case of Covid-19. (Unlike Ms Khemili, Ms Berrent’s son had normal, healthy teeth with no underlying disease, according to her orthodontist.)
Other members of the Facebook group posted articles about tooth loss without bleeding. A woman lost a tooth while eating ice cream. Eileen Luciano from Edison, NJ, had an upper molar in early November while flossing.
“It was the last thing I thought would happen, that my teeth would fall out,” Ms. Luciano said.
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Teeth that fall out without blood are unusual, Dr Li said, and provide a clue that there might be something going on with the blood vessels in the gums.
The new coronavirus is wreaking havoc by binding to the ACE2 protein, which is ubiquitous in the human body. Not only is it found in the lungs, but also on nerve and endothelial cells. Therefore, says Dr Li, it is possible that the virus has damaged blood vessels that keep teeth alive in Covid-19 survivors; it may also explain why those who have lost their teeth do not feel any pain.
It is also possible that the generalized immune response, known as a cytokine storm, is manifesting in the mouth.
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