Invasive Dentistry Linked To Increased Risk Of Heart-Related Problems

Thu, 21 Oct 2010

New research has revealed that invasive dental procedures aimed at treating gum inflammation may increase the risk of heart attack and stroke .

Previous studies have shown a link between common and chronic low-grade dental infections and inflammatory processes that raise the risk for strokes and heart attacks .

To examine whether treatment for those infections raises a similar risk, a team of researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine analysed US Medicaid records for nearly 1,200 patients who had undergone invasive dental treatments such as periodontal therapy and tooth extractions, and had also experienced a stroke or a heart attack between 2002 and 2006.

In the four weeks following a dental procedure, the team observed a significant but slight increase in cardiovascular events, even after accounting for diabetes history, high blood pressure and/or coronary heart disease .

But the experts noted that no patient suffered a cardiovascular event on the day of treatment, and the apparent increased heart risk did not last longer than six months. 


Study co-author Liam Smeeth, a professor of clinical epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said the team saw "a genuine rise in cardiovascular risk in the period just after dental work was done among patients undergoing invasive treatment", but stressed that the overall risk is "quite small" and lasts "for only a very brief period".

The team concluded that patients should not be put off dental care procedures, as the cardiovascular concerns do not outweigh the long-term cardiovascular benefits of invasive dental treatment .
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