Atrial Fibrllation and dental infections

Because of COVID and our lives being put on ‘hold’ for so long, note this reminder that if you’ve put off your regular dental exam/prophylaxis visits, be sure you don’t delay too long.

Just FYI… study report from 2018….

Potential Impact of Oral Inflammations on Cardiac Functions and Atrial Fibrillation
[www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

Jackie

Funny you mention this. I am suppose to take antibiotics when I get dental work (very few do now days but I am one that does).. And I have experienced allergies to antibiotics... so they do a supra-gingival cleaning on me w/o them once a year. ANYWHO.. my NP said during my last congenital visit.. "floss your teeth.. it is one of the best things you can do." So get out those flossers!!

Hi bettylou - Yes, definitely, for your case, always be sure you take the antibiotic for your known risk factor before you have the typical subgingival scaling/cleaning procedure. As for daily flossing, that is definitely important, but if there are subgingival areas where there is pocketing or sulcus depth more than 5 mm, then it's important to keep up with the regular professional prophylaxis which is usually every 3 - 4 mos. instead of the standard 6 mos visit.

With deeper sulcus depth, the dental floss cannot reach down into the pocket because of the physical structure of the gingival tissue surrounding each tooth... so it becomes important to have prophylactic scaling to clean out plaque that hardens into calculus over time. Various scaling instruments are designed to allow access and debride very deep pocket areas.

Best to you,
Jackie

Interesting stuff Jackie. I am going to have to think about going more frequently because I so the supra gingival cleaning.. maybe that would be the way for me to go.

The only antibiotic ive ever been able to take safely is Keflex. All! Others amox Levaquin augmentin etc cause my heart to act up
Plus what happens when youre on Equis?

I have mitral valve prolapse and for 10-20 years I had to premeditate with Keflex prior to a cleaning. Big dose of 2 grams before and 1 gram afterwards. The dental association stopped requiring it. This high dose never triggered afib. I just made sure to ask for linocaine “plain “ without Epi.