Kevin Breazeale - Heart Valve Journal

My Journal

2863 days ago

I have a scheduled valve operation on 2/28/17 and I just had a dental checkup. They found a tooth that has an infection and the dentist said I should have it ...Read more

I have a scheduled valve operation on 2/28/17 and I just had a dental checkup. They found a tooth that has an infection and the dentist said I should have it pulled before my operation. It doesn't hurt but from the X-ray it shows that it needs to be removed. I'm confused and frustrated but I want to do the right thing that is best for my health. Also, I've been diagnosed with gum disease and I think this is attributing to the loss of my tooth. When I asked my cardiologist about gum disease and the relationship to heart disease he told me it's not the cause of my heart valve condition. My dentist on the other hand to me differently. He went on to say that if you had bleeding gums and when you swallow the bacteria is traveling through your bloodstream therefore setting up problems for heart disease. So I want to know if this is true who do you believe?

Kathy Blank Having healthy dental hygiene is important because any dental issues and resultant bacteria can trave ... Read more

Kathy Blank Having healthy dental hygiene is important because any dental issues and resultant bacteria can travel to your heart and make you more prone to infection at the heart when there are issues with proper blood flow. These dental issues don't cause your heart issue but if you have a form of heart disease such as valve disorders-proper dental health can prevent infection spreading to your heart. That is why many heart valve patients must pre- medicate with antibiotics during certain dental procedures. Keep us posted on your journey. Each step can be frustrating but in the long run can attribute to best recovery and heart health!

Barbara Wood Please Google "tooth extraction before heart surgery" There was a study- a small one- done on this, t ... Read more

Barbara Wood Please Google "tooth extraction before heart surgery" There was a study- a small one- done on this, the results are slightly alarming, but unclear. I had a root canal done a few months ago in preparation for surgery, but whether this was a safer option, I'm not sure.

Phyllis Petersen I had to have a dentist certify that I didn't have any infection that could affect my heart before I ... Read more

Phyllis Petersen I had to have a dentist certify that I didn't have any infection that could affect my heart before I had surgery. They needed a full exam. You should definitely run this by your surgeon.

Kevin Breazeale Thank you all for your responses. I've got 13 days before my surgery date and I am going to have my t ... Read more

Kevin Breazeale Thank you all for your responses. I've got 13 days before my surgery date and I am going to have my teeth cleaned and they may have remove a tooth that has an infection. I picked up my antibiotics and was told by the pharmacist to take them 1 hour before the dental procedure.