Health

Invasive dental procedures linked to heart inflammation

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An interesting study titled “Endocarditis, invasive dental procedures, and antibiotic prophylaxis efficacy in US Medicaid patients” appears in Oral Diseases on April 27, 2023, written by Martin Thornhill and et. al. The study investigates the association between invasive dental procedures and endocarditis, which is inflammation of the inside lining of the heart chambers and heart valves. In the study the authors used the MarketScan multi-state Medicaid database to examine 1.68 million Medicaid patients with linked medical, dental, and prescription data and compared it to 7.95 million individuals with employer-provided Commercial/Medicare-Supplemental health coverage with linked dental and prescription benefits. The authors found that the cohort study showed increased endocarditis incidence within 30 days of invasive dental procedures in those at high risk, particularly after extractions or oral surgery. It was also determined that antibiotic prophylaxis significantly reduced endocarditis incidence following invasive … Read more

Mental health conditions linked to higher oral disease risk

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An interesting study was presented at the 52nd Annual Meeting & Exhibition of the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) that was in conjunction with the 47th Annual Meeting of the CADR in Portland, Oregon on March 17, 2023. The study was conducted by lead author Alex Kalaigian from the University of California, San Francisco School of Dentistry and was part of a talk on “Examining Mental Health and Oral Health: A Nationally Representative Cohort” in a session titled “Psychological Factors for Oral Health.” The study analyzed self-reported data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study.  The self-reported data had a screener that measured mental health symptoms according to three disorder categorizations: internalizing, externalizing, and substance use and evaulated six oral health outcomes: self-rated oral health, bleeding gums, loose teeth, tooth loss, gum disease, … Read more

3 Small Things That Can Make A Big Difference in Oral Health

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Keeping your mouth healthy is crucial for your general well-being as well as for having a beautiful smile. Although brushing and flossing are common knowledge, there are a few more simple yet effective habits that can have a big influence on your dental health. You may improve the efficiency of your oral care and support long-term dental health by making some little changes to your regular regimen. These three little factors can significantly affect your dental health. Incorporate a Mouth Rinse into Your Routine An easy yet powerful addition to your dental hygiene routine that may significantly enhance your oral health is using a mouth rinse. Mouth rinses assist in strengthening your teeth, reducing bacteria, and freshening your breath by getting into places that flossing and brushing can miss. Mouthwashes that include fluoride, which helps to remineralizer dentin and prevent … Read more

Oral Bacteria May Lead to More Heart Disease

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An interesting article titled “Associations of genetic and infectious risk factors with coronary heart disease” appears in eLife published on February 14, 2023, written by Flavia Hodel and et. al. The article discusses how common bacteria that has been linked with periodontal disease, oral cancers, and bad breath increase the chance of developing heart disease. In the past it has been discussed on this site how Brushing Teeth Twice a Day to Help Prevent Heart Disease and Bacterium goes from the mouth to the heart to cause disease. In the current article, the authors mention how cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of mortality in the world and it is believed 17.9 million people die from CVD each year. The authors performed multiplex serological testing for persistent or frequently recurring infections and genome-wide analysis in a prospective population study. … Read more

Periodontitis has a relationship to atrial fibrosis in atrial fibrillation

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An interesting article titled “Relationship Between Periodontitis and Atrial Fibrosis in Atrial Fibrillation: Histological Evaluation of Left Atrial Appendages” appears in the JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology written by Shunsuke Miyauchi and et. al. (Volume 9, Issue 1, January 2023, Pages 43-53). The article seeks to explore the relationship of periodontitis with atrial fibrillation (AF) and atrial fibrosis. Periodontitis (periodontal disease) is an inflammatory disease where bacteria accumulates at the gum line. The likelyhood of periodontal disease occurring later in life in the wisdom tooth region is a reason dentists and oral surgeons give to support removing healthy wisdom teeth in the teenage and twenty years of age. Various associations to periodontitis has been showed over the years as covered before on this site see for example the posts Omega 3 Fatty Acids Inversely Proportional to Periodontitis, Blueberry extract could help treat periodontitis, Estrogen … Read more