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Caries And Periodontitis Can Kill!

The bacteria present in caries and periodontal disease can migrate to the heart through the bloodstream and can cause bacterial endocarditis, which is a heart disease with a high mortality rate.

It happens more commonly in people with heart problems such as a murmur and heart valve disease.

Caries treatment procedures can cause bacteria to pass into the bloodstream. These bacteria, in turn, can cause endocarditis in predisposed people. Some periodontal diseases, such as gingivitis and periodontitis, also increase the risk of endocarditis. The gums should be light pink in color, not bleed when brushing the teeth, not swollen, and adhere well to the teeth. If you have a heart condition, you should see a dentist regularly and have good oral hygiene.

Not all types of endocarditis can be prevented. However, if the person has a heart problem and is going to undergo a dental procedure, it is important that the dentist is aware of it in order to take the necessary measures, such as prophylactic antibiotic therapy.

Watch out:The mouth is the largest body cavity in contact with the outside world. Entrance port of the digestive tract and auxiliary for breathing. Due to its characteristics and functions, the mouth is a nest of bacteria. In just one milliliter of saliva, 150 million bacteria swarm. When the balance between these bacteria is broken, what dentists and doctors call periodontal diseases (gingivitis and periodontitis), inflammation of the gums or the tissue that joins the teeth to the bone, can arise. In their most severe forms, they contribute to the development of heart disorders. Of every ten Brazilians, nine suffer to some degree from this type of condition. In most cases, it stems from inadequate oral hygiene and lack of periodic visits to the dentist.

The implications of gingivitis and periodontitis basically follow the following path: inflamed, the tissues become irritable and bleed during chewing, by the action of the toothbrush or dental floss. This hemorrhage, in turn, allows the microbes that triggered the process to enter the bloodstream and reach other parts of the body. It is relatively easy for this to happen because the gums and periodontium have abundant blood supply. For this reason, bacterial endocarditis is more present in victims of periodontal disease.

Incor, which is a reference center for the disease, registers ten to twelve patients with endocarditis every month. About 40% of these cases have an oral origin and are discovered either by spontaneous infections, resulting from teeth or gums in poor condition, or by manipulation of the infected area for dental treatment. However, when entering the circulation, this bacteria ends up in the heart and can cause endocarditis.

Symptoms

Long-term fever, persistent night sweats, enlarged spleen, heart changes or sudden worsening of previously existing heart disease.

Treatment:
Treatment aims to control the infection and correct the factor that predisposed to endocarditis. These are long treatments, with many weeks of hospitalization, using a large number of medications, including antibiotics, and often requiring heart surgery.