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

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
• SARS CoV2
• Diagnosis
• Evolution
• Calculus
• Saliva