Oral health evaluation of cardiac patients admitted to cardiovascular pre-surgery intervention

ABSTRACT Objective: To assess the oral health status of patients admitted to pre-intervention heart surgery, observing the need index concerning invasive treatment. Methods: hospitalized volunteers in number of 75 were evaluated in order to be investigated concerning which systemic changes were occurring, the patients' oral health conditions as well as the need for invasive dental procedures. Results: Volunteers analyzed in the study were: 69.3% male and 30.7% female. As for the reason for hospitalization were: valvuloplasty (41.3%), coronary artery bypass surgery (24%), pacemaker implantation (16%), cardiac catheterization (8%), placement of stent (6.6%), congenital heart disease (4%). The associated systemic changes were: hypertension (54.6%), diabetes mellitus (20.0%), hypertension and diabetes mellitus (13.3%). Most patients presented the need to undergo invasive dental treatment procedures such as: Periodontal (58.6%), Restorative Dentistry (26.6%), surgical (18.6%), endodontic (12%), dental pain source (2, 6%), abscess presence (1.3%). Conclusion: The oral health status of the patients was considered poor, a significant number of patients at the time of the oral examination, needed some type of invasive dental treatment and the oral environment adequacy indicated dental condition which may cause the formation of infectious sites which in turn can trigger complications both in the oral cavity and general health, as well.