Dental health can have an impact on cardiovascular health.
When periodontal disease is present a complicating factor is usually inflammation and
infection. Because the oral cavity is highly vascular these bacterial pathogens can
travel to distant structures and cause septicemia. Any anatomical location can be
adversely affected, including the heart.
When bacterial
pathogens travel to the myocardium the bacteria generally colonize the heart valves.
This results in a endocarditis, the pathogens can also become systemic. Endocarditis is
a serious bacterial infection of the endocardium that requires specific intravenous
antibiotic therapy to eradicate the pathogens. Left untreated, the endocarditis can
affect cardiac filling times and cardiac output.
A common
situation is when a person knows they have mitral valve prolapse, MVP. Most dental
questionnaires ask about this condition and if present, prophylactic antibiotic therapy
will be prescribed at the time of any dental work or procedure.
No comments:
Post a Comment