Frequency of Asymptomatic COVID-19 Children and Related Oral Manifestations in 4-12-Year-Old Pediatric Dental Patients

This study aimed to assess the frequency of asymptomatic coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) carriers and related oral manifestations in child dental patients.

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 215 asymptomatic pediatric dental patients aged 4-12 years. Clinical examination was performed by one calibrated examiner to determine oral signs and symptoms between October 2021 to July 2022. After completing clinical examination, the participants underwent a COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. Data were analyzed by Chi-Square, T- test, and Fisher’s exact test (α<0.05).

The mean age of the patients was 7.71±1.74 years; 102 (47.4%) were males and 113 (56.6%) were females. Thirty-two patients (14.9%) had a positive PCR result for COVID-19. Out of 32 positive subjects, 7(3.3%) had oral lesions including aphthous and herpetic ulcers. Impairment in the sense of taste was not observed in any of the patients. Association between oral symptoms, and age (P=0.432) or gender (P=0.539) was not significant.

The prevalence of COVID-19 asymptomatic carriers in the study population was 14.9%; and 3.3% of them had oral manifestations, which emphasizes the need for personal protective equipment to prevent infection transmission.