February is American Heart Month! The Association Between Periodontal and Cardiovascular Diseases

The association between periodontal disease and one or more forms of cardiovascular disease have been known since epidemiological studies demonstrated an association between periodontal disease and functional or morphological markers of coronary heart disease.  Higher levels of tooth loss were associated with the highest risk of stroke, cardiovascular death or all-cause death, but the pathway by which tooth loss led to these outcomes remains unclear.  The mechanism by which periodontal disease affects coronary heart disease has not been established,

The American Dental Association (ADA) reported in October 2105 that while studies present evidence that tooth loss and adverse cardiovascular health are associated with each other, it does not demonstrate that tooth loss causes poor cardiovascular health, nor that periodontal treatment improves cardiovascular health.

The current position of both the ADA and the American Heart Association “is that while periodontal disease and heart health have an association, additional research is needed to establish whether one causes the other.”

ASK THE DOC!
Posted: January 25, 2016

QUESTION:  Do we need to use prophylactic antibiotics prior to dental procedures in patients with prosthetic joints?

ANSWER:  NO.  Prophylactic antibiotics are NOT recommended prior to dental procedures to prevent prosthetic joint infections (PJI) in patients with prosthetic joint implants.  According to the ADA, there is no evidence associating dental procedures with PJI or that antibiotics prevent PJI.  Click here to read the complete abstract.