Pre-Cardiac Dental Treatment Does Not Increase the Risk of Adverse Events

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Surgery
• Oral Health
• Infectious Disease

Background:

• Dental infections can lead to systemic complications.
• Eliminating dental sources of infection before cardiovascular surgery (CVS) aims to reduce perioperative risks.
• The safety of preoperative dental intervention requires further evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the association between preoperative dental intervention and adverse events in patients undergoing CVS.
• To determine if dental treatment before CVS increases the risk of complications, medical adverse events, or mortality.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 1513 inpatient consultations for dental services.
• Categorization of 738 eligible patients into four groups based on dental health and intervention received.
• Evaluation for major adverse events including dental complications, medical adverse events, and death.

Main Results:

• Dental complications, specifically bleeding, occurred only in patients who received surgical dental intervention.
• Major bleeding events were infrequent and likely attributed to anticoagulation and CVS, not dental procedures.
• No significant differences in medical adverse events or mortality were observed between the groups.

Conclusions:

• Preoperative dental intervention prior to cardiovascular surgery is not associated with increased morbidity or mortality.
• The elimination of oral infections before CVS appears to be a safe practice.