Poor Oral Health Increases the Risk of Endocarditis

Poor dental health can affect many aspects of a person’s general health, with recent studies linking gum disease and tooth decay to the development of diabetes, strokes and even Alzheimer’s.

A lack of good oral hygiene has also been found to affect patients with congenital heart diseases and increases their risk of developing endocarditis.

Finding from two studies, presented at the 12^th Annual Spring Meeting on Cardiovascular Nursing in Denmark revealed that adolescents with congenital heart disease were actually less likely than their peers to brush or floss, but they did have a better relationship with alcohol and drugs.

Dental issues increase the severity of heart conditions when plaque and dental bacteria enter the bloodstream through wounded gums. This debris then makes it way around the body and can block and clog important arteries to the heart.

Dentists and doctors alike, therefore, encourage patients with congenital heart defects to maintain a good level of dental health, by brushing, flossing and using mouthwash.

 

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Tags: Diabetes and gum disease, endocarditis, Gum disease and health issues, Poor oral health

This entry was posted on Friday, March 23rd, 2012 at 9:24 am and is filed under General, Gum disease, Oral health. Both comments and pings are currently closed.