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Medication and Heart Disease
Certain kinds of medications can have an adverse effect on your teeth.

Long ago, children exposed to tetracycline developed tooth problems, including discoloration, later in life. The medication fell out of use, however, and is not an issue today.

The best precaution is to ask your family physician if any medications he or she has prescribed can have a detrimental effect on your teeth or other oral structures.

A condition called dry mouth is commonly associated with certain medications, including antihistamines, diuretics, decongestants, and pain killers. People with medical conditions, such as an eating disorder or diabetes, are often plagued by dry mouth. Other causes are related to aging (including rheumatoid arthritis), and compromised immune systems. Garlic and tobacco use are other known culprits.

Dry mouth occurs when saliva production drops. Saliva is one of your body's natural defenses against plaque because it acts to rinse your mouth of cavity-causing bacteria and other harmful materials.

Some of the less alarming results of dry mouth include bad breath. But dry mouth can lead to more serious problems, including burning tongue syndrome, a painful condition caused by lack of moisture on the tongue.

If dry mouth isn't readily apparent, you may experience other conditions that dry mouth can cause, including an overly sensitive tongue, chronic thirst or even difficulty in speaking.

Heart Disease

Poor dental hygiene can cause a host of problems outside your mouth-including your heart.

Medical research has uncovered a definitive link between heart disease and certain kinds of oral infections such as periodontal disease. Some have even suggested that gum disease may be as dangerous as or more dangerous than other factors such as tobacco use.

A condition called chronic periodontitis, or persistent gum disease, has been linked to cardiovascular problems by medical researchers.

In short, infections and harmful bacteria in your mouth can spread through the bloodstream to your liver, which produces harmful proteins that can lead to systemic cardiac problems. That's why it's critical to practice good oral hygiene to keep infections at bay-this includes a daily regimen of brushing, flossing and rinsing.

Antibiotic Prophylaxis

In some cases, patient with compromised immune systems or specific heart conditions may need to take antibiotics before visiting the dentist.

It is possible that bacteria from your mouth can enter you bloodstream during a dental procedure in which tissue is cut or bleeding occurs. A healthy immune system will normally fight such bacterial before they result in an infection.

Previously the American Heart Association felt that certain cardiovascular conditions in patients with weakened hearts could be at risk for an infection or heart muscle inflammation (bacterial endocarditis) resulting from a dental procedure.

Patients with heart conditions (including weakened heart valves) are strongly advised to inform our office before undergoing any dental procedure. The proper antibiotic will prevent any unnecessary complications. An evaluation by the patient’s cardiologist may be necessary in order to diagnose the need fro antibiotics prior to treatment. Per the American Dental Association in conjunction with the American Heart Association the guidelines in brief are as follows:
Preventive antibiotics prior to a dental procedure ARE ADVISED for patients with:

• Artificial heart valves
• A 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 heart defect with prosthetic material or device, whether placed by surgery or by catheter intervention, 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 a prosthetic device
• A cardiac transplant that develops a problem in a heart valve

Patient who have taken antibiotics routinely in the past but NO LONGER need them include people with:

• Mitral Valve Prolapse
• Rheumatic heart disease
• Bicuspid valve disease
• Calcified aortic stenosis
• Congenital heart conditions such as ventricular septal defect, atrial septal defect and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
  *These guidelines are not all inclusive and your physician or our office may recommend antibiotics prior to dental procedures.
  *These guidelines were obtained, and can be viewed at www.ada.org and follow link to Antibiotics and your Heart
  *For more information, you can also view the American Heart Association new guidelines at http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4548