How is dental hygiene and heart conditions related?
Tuesday, April 21st, 2009 at
5:04 pm
take one step asked:
My mother has mitral valve stenosis and often is concerned that any work / medicine they have done with her teeh (root canal for example) may be harmful to her mitral valve heart condition. why is this? I also notice that many people on here who answer the heart disease questions have sources that are dental related (they are dental hygienists, dentists)
Tagged with: Dental Hygiene • Mitral Stenosis • Mitral Valve Stenosis
Filed under: Heart Diseases
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It is very easy to get a cut in your mouth while at the dentist( sharp metal tools) that could lead to a possible infection, from what I understand anyone with heart problems has to be very careful about this. I had to take antibiotics before every dental appointment for thirty five years( the just discontinued that for me). They can’t be too careful with heart valves
What the concern is gum disease having “bad” oral hygiene can lead to quit a few health problems having the constant bacteria in your system.
if having dental work done just make sure to use a good mouth wash.
allot of heart problems are genetic and there is not much that we can do about it
there is also a number of life style choices that can play a roll and also stress.
In very simplistic terms, bacteria can be introduced into the bloodstream through the gums (i.e., during dental procedures ranging from cleaning to root canal), this can be introduced into the heart because of the blood regurgitation (blood leaking backward). Antibiotics are often prescribed as a preventative measure.
There has been some debate recently about the need for this antibiotic treatment. See summary of article from “Cardiology Today” titled “Fewer heart patients visiting the dentist will be recommended for pre-procedure antibiotics” on
The article is near the bottom of the page.
There is a strong link between having periodontitis (inflamed and diseased gums) and endocarditis (a type of heart disease).
I found an article, written more with athletes in mind, that recommended that patients who are going to undergo dental surgery should ask about receiving antibiotics as a preventive measure.
Your mom should be sure to give her dentist a full health history, even if it seems irrelevant to her dental health. Dentists are doctors, they just specialize in oral care.
I have the same thing. She will be fine if she takes antibiotics 1 hour before she has dental work, the dentist will write her a prescription.
The dental procedure itself is not harmful to the heart, it is the possiblity of infection. As has been said, the mouth is an area that has alot of bacteria – during a dental procedure there is usually bleeding from the gums, teeth extraction etc that can allow the bacteria to get into the bloodstream. If that happens, the bacteria can reach the heart and cause more serious problems. Therefore, any procedure on the mouth requires a high dose of antibiotic prior to and after the procedure as a preventative measure. Your mother should always have antibiotics for dental work.
This Patient Guide is written for the loved ones of heart patients who are dealing with the short-term stress that comes with a test, procedure or recent diagnosis of heart disease. It explains why support is so important to a loved one with heart disease. It also offers practical strategies on how to support a loved one while also taking care of yourself.