Leading expert in cardiac transplantation, Dr. Pascal Leprince, MD, explains the critical link between dental hygiene and heart failure. He emphasizes that poor dental care can lead to serious infections like endocarditis, which often requires complex cardiac surgery or even a heart transplant. Dr. Leprince advocates for better public health policies on dental reimbursement and stresses that simple daily habits, including physical activity and mindful eating, are powerful, low-cost tools for preventing advanced heart disease.
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The Critical Link Between Dental Infections and Heart Failure Prevention
Jump To Section
- How Dental Infections Cause Endocarditis
- Preventing Heart Transplants Through Dental Care
- The Public Health and Economic Costs
- Simple Daily Habits for Heart Health
- The Need for Improved Dental Health Policies
- Full Transcript
How Dental Infections Cause Endocarditis
Dr. Pascal Leprince, MD, a leading cardiac transplant surgeon, provides a clear clinical explanation for the connection. He states that dental infections are a primary source of bacteria that can travel through the bloodstream and attach to heart valves. This process leads to a severe infection known as infective endocarditis.
Endocarditis causes significant damage to the heart's valves and structures. This damage often becomes irreversible, setting the stage for advanced heart failure. The interview with Dr. Anton Titov, MD, highlights how a seemingly unrelated oral health issue can directly cause a life-threatening cardiac condition.
Preventing Heart Transplants Through Dental Care
A startling statistic from Dr. Pascal Leprince, MD, underscores the importance of prevention. He reveals that 25 to 30% of cardiac transplantations performed for advanced heart failure could be prevented with better adherence to known therapies, including proper dental hygiene.
This represents an enormous opportunity to save lives and reduce the burden on the transplant system. Dr. Leprince's expertise indicates that maintaining clean, infection-free teeth is not just about oral health but is a direct strategy to avoid the need for a heart transplant.
The Public Health and Economic Costs
The financial implications are profound. Dr. Pascal Leprince, MD, points out that the costs associated with cardiac transplantation are huge. Furthermore, he notes a specific policy issue in France, where dental care is less reimbursed, creating a barrier to access.
This lack of access leads to a vicious cycle. Patients avoid dental visits due to cost, develop severe infections, and ultimately require expensive cardiac surgery for endocarditis. Dr. Anton Titov, MD, and Dr. Leprince agree that this is a significant public health challenge where prevention is far more cost-effective than treatment.
Simple Daily Habits for Heart Health
Beyond dental care, Dr. Pascal Leprince, MD, advocates for a holistic approach to prevention that is not overwhelming. He advises incorporating some physical activity every day, such as walking, and being mindful of dietary choices.
Dr. Pascal Leprince, MD, emphasizes that you don't have to be fully focused on it every minute. These consistent, low-cost habits are good for the body and the mind. This practical advice from a top surgeon makes heart health an achievable goal for most people.
The Need for Improved Dental Health Policies
The conversation between Dr. Anton Titov, MD, and Dr. Pascal Leprince, MD, concludes with a call to action. Dr. Leprince strongly believes that attention to dental health must be improved in many countries. Better reimbursement policies can remove financial barriers that prevent people from seeking essential dental care.
Improving public awareness is also critical. Most patients do not associate dental care with heart health, but as Dr. Pascal Leprince, MD, explains, they are directly connected. Addressing this knowledge gap is a key step in preventing countless cases of endocarditis and heart failure.
Full Transcript
Dr. Anton Titov, MD: That is a very important point. You say that 25 to 30% of cardiac transplantations due to advanced heart failure can be prevented by better adherence to known therapies. That has an enormous public health impact, especially considering there is no unlimited supply of hearts for transplantation. The costs of cardiac transplantation are huge as well.
I think that is very important. It is a similar problem with endocarditis. Many cases of heart valve endocarditis that we see come from dental infections. Dental care is less reimbursed in France. Some patients will not go to a dentist because it is not reimbursed. Then they will have bad problems with teeth.
Because of dental problems, they will get dental infections. Because of dental infections, they will get endocarditis. Then they will require cardiac surgery for endocarditis just because they have bad dental hygiene and dental infections. This is very important!
Let us hear that from the leading cardiac transplant surgeon. How important is caring for the teeth, especially to keep teeth free of infection? Because dental infection leads to infection on the heart valves, endocarditis. Endocarditis then leads to heart failure and a need for heart transplantation.
Take care of your teeth before your heart fails. Take care of yourself and not only your teeth. Just get some physical activity every day. Look at what you eat every day. You don't have to be fully focused on it. I don't think about my lifestyle every minute, but get some physical activity every day.
Dr. Pascal Leprince, MD: We know this is good for the body. It is good for the mind as well. This is all good for health. It is not very expensive to do.
Dr. Anton Titov, MD: You can just walk. Most patients don't associate dental care with heart health, but they are directly connected, as you just mentioned.
Dr. Pascal Leprince, MD: Yes! I think we should improve attention on dental health in our countries.