Bacteria thrive in the oral cavity. During dental cleaning, these bacteria are often released and can easily enter the blood stream. This is a common occurrence. In normal people, this is of no consequence. However, there are some individuals who have a deformed heart valve, a congenital heart problem, a hole in the heart or some type of heart defects- for reasons not understood, bacteria, which are released from the mouth, can move, and attach themselves to heart valves.
The valves are like a magnet and attract these bacteria. Once the bacteria stick to valves, they set about an inflammatory process and gradually destroy the valve. This is known as infective endocarditis. Therefore, all individuals who have heart valve defects are advised to take antibiotics prior to any procedure that will release bacteria into the blood stream.
However, there have been many studies of showing that antibiotics do not always prevent infective endocarditis. Other studies reveal that antibiotics may not be required for all individuals with heart problems.
No comments:
Post a Comment