Dental, oral and bacteriological aspects in patients at risk of subacute bacterial endocarditis

The present investigation was performed on 100 patients, at the Cardiac Institute in Imbaba suffering from either rheumatic heart disease or congenital heart disease. In all the patients, the cardiac, dental and periodontal conditions as well as any other oral manifestations were evaluated. Bacterial samples of plaque and throat were taken in cases receiving long-acting penicillin. In most of the cases, the caries, plaque and periodontal indices were very high and in cases of congenital heart disease, there was atrophy of the tongue coating. The bacterial ecology of dental plaque changed in most of the patients taking long-acting penicillins with supervening Streptococcus viridans, E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The results stress on the importance of proper antibiotic prophylaxis before any dental intervention as well as through oral hygiene procedures.