Cardiologists’ and cardiovascular surgeons’ attitudes toward managing endodontic infections and oral health in patients with cardiovascular diseases

ABSTRACT

Objective: A relationship between dentists and medical doctors should be encouraged to reduce cardiovascular risk in cardiac patients with dental infection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the attitudes of cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons (cardiac specialists) toward managing endodontic infections and oral health in patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs).

Methods: A survey of 16 questions assessing knowledge of endodontic infection, dental examination, timing of endodontic treatment, and antibiotic prophylaxis was sent to cardiac specialists in Turkey. The participants’ responses were compared by means of the chi-square test (p ≤ 0.05).

Results: Responses were received from 444 (44.71%) participants. Of all participants, 91.4% agreed that endodontic infections are important diseases that should be treated. Cardiac patients were referred to a dentist by 66.6% of the cardiologists and 80.3% of the cardiovascular surgeons (p = 0.002). Almost all participants (97.3%) believed that the heart health of cardiac patients with endodontic infections could be negatively affected by this infection.

Conclusion: Although there is not yet any conclusive evidence on whether the presence of an endodontic infection may have an impact on CVDs, this study showed that most cardiac specialists attached importance to endodontic infections.

KEYWORDS:

• Antibiotic prophylaxis
• cardiovascular diseases
• dental infection control
• endodontics

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank all the participants.

Authors contributions

Betul Aycan ALIM, Mehmet Burak GUNESER, and Asiye Nur DINCER had substantial contributions to the design of the work and the acquisition, analysis, and interpretation of data for the work. All authors drafted the work together and read the final version of the manuscript. They agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Betul Aycan ALIM, Mehmet Burak GUNESER, and Asiye Nur DINCER had substantial contributions to the design of the work and the acquisition, analysis, and interpretation of data for the work. All authors drafted the work together and read the final version of the manuscript. They agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter in the manuscript. The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Reviewers disclosure

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed here.

Additional information

Funding

This study was self-funded by the authors.