Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 25, 2026

An In Vitro Model of a Parallel-Plate Perfusion System to Study Bacterial Adherence to Graft Tissues
Published on: January 7, 2019
Dentigenous infectious foci - a risk factor of infective endocarditis
Beata Wisniewska-Spychala1, Jerzy Sokalski, Stefan Grajek
1Chair and Department of Dental Surgery, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland. tristanm@umed.poznan.pl
Background:
Dentigenous, infectious foci are frequently associated with the development of various diseases. The role of such foci in the evolution of endocarditis still remains unclear. This article presents the concluding results of an interdisciplinary study verifying the influence of dentigenous, infectious foci on the development of infective endocarditis.
Material/Methods:
The study subjects were 60 adult patients with history of infective endocarditis and coexistent acquired heart disease, along with the presence at least 2 odontogenic infectious foci (ie, 2 or more teeth with gangrenous pulp and periodontitis). The group had earlier been qualified for the procedure of heart valve replacement. Swabs of removed heart valve tissue with inflammatory lesions and blood were then examined microbiologically. Swabs of root canals and their periapical areas, of periodontal pockets, and of heart valves were also collected.
Results:
Microbial flora, cultured from intradental foci, blood and heart valves, fully corresponded in 14 patients. This was accompanied in almost all cases by more advanced periodontitis (2nd degree, Scandinavian classification), irrespective of the bacterial co-occurrence mentioned. In the remaining patients, such consistency was not found.
Conclusions:
Among various dentigenous, infectious foci, the intradental foci appear to constitute a risk factor for infective endocarditis.
Related Concept Videos
Endocarditis II: Clinical Features of Infective Endocarditis
Endocarditis I: Introduction
Endocarditis IV: Nursing Management
Factors Affecting the Risk of Infection
The integrity and count of the white blood cells help the body resist pathogens and fight infection. When impaired, it reduces the body's resistance to pathogens. The acidic pH levels of the gastrointestinal, genitourinary tracts, and skin create...
Endocarditis III: Medical Management
Rheumatic Heart Disease I: Introduction
