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A healthier mouth for a healthier you!
Oral Health and Cardiovascular Disease
FACT: Cardiovascular disease – heart disease, diseases of the blood vessels and stroke – is responsible for one-third of all deaths in Canada and costs the economy $18 billion every year. Heart disease is the nation's leading cause of death in both men and women.
Your mouth is a portal to your body. Increasingly, research is uncovering the link between periodontal disease (disease of the gums and supporting bone) and overall health. Your chances of cardiovascular disease may increase if you have periodontal disease. According to research, the reason for this elevated risk may be the result of bloodstream contamination from bacteria, bacterial by-products and chemicals that are released from certain cells. Once the bacteria enters the bloodstream, they attach to the fatty deposits in the heart blood vessels. This condition can cause blood clots and may lead to heart attacks.
Since periodontal disease can be prevented and controlled, dental hygienists may have an opportunity to play a key role in decreasing the incidence and severity of cardiovascular disease. Your dental hygienist is a licensed oral health-care professional who can work with you to develop a program of good oral hygiene. Regular visits to your dental hygienist can help ensure a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums. A regular health history assessment, head and neck examination, as well as teeth and gum assessment and cleanings are crucial for good oral health and integral to general health. With your help, the dental hygienist can develop an oral hygiene care plan that includes prevention and treatment therapies to ensure the best oral health possible. If necessary, a referral to other health-care professionals may be needed.
If I have heart disease, are there special requirements to maintain proper oral health?
To maintain the best oral health, you should:
Establish and maintain a healthy mouth. This means brushing and flossing daily as well as using an antiseptic mouthwash. This helps reduce the accumulation of plaque and bacteria.
See your dental professional regularly for examinations and dental cleanings.
It is imperative that he/she knows you have a heart problem.
Eat a healthy diet low in sugar and sodium.
Carefully follow your physician's or dental provider's instructions and use prescription medications as directed.
Am I at risk if dental procedures are performed?
If you have certain preexisting heart conditions, you may be at risk for developing infective endocarditis – an infection of the heart's inner lining or the valves. Anytime there is bleeding in the mouth, certain oral bacteria can enter the blood stream and may settle on abnormal heart valves or tissue weakened by an existing heart problem or heart condition. In these cases, the infection can damage or even destroy heart valves or tissue.
The American Heart Association updated guidelines require that patients with the following conditions need precautionary antibiotic treatment before any dental procedures:
artificial heart valves
history of infective endocarditis
certain specific, serious congenital (present from birth) heart conditions including:
unrepaired or incompletely repaired cyanotic congenital heart disease, including those with palliative shunts and conduits
a completely repaired congenital defect with prosthetic material or device, whether placed by surgery or by catheter interventions, during the first six months after the procedure
any repaired congenital heart defect with residual defect at the site or adjacent to the site of a prosthetic patch or prosthetic device.
a cardiac transplant which develops a problem in a heart valve.
‘Keep Your Smile For A Lifetime!'
Penny Judson-Benny, RDH, is the owner and operator of Mountain View Dental Hygiene Clinic in Black Diamond and can be contacted at 403-933-7722.
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