Rogers S N
Department of Oral Surgery, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
Postgrad Med J. 1989 Jul;65(765):453-5. doi: 10.1136/pgmj.65.765.453.
The mouth is a possible source of infection in patients receiving prosthetic heart valves. In this study, the dental health of such patients was found to be very poor. Whilst most of the patients were asymptomatic, only two were dentally fit and 65% required the extraction of one or more teeth. On average, patients had not attended a dental practice for more than 9 years. This level of dental neglect, in a group of patients particularly at risk, is alarming and this study indicates that a higher standard of oral care is still required and that a lack of symptoms does not indicate dental fitness.
对于接受人工心脏瓣膜置换的患者而言，口腔可能是感染源。在本研究中，这类患者的口腔健康状况极差。虽然大多数患者没有症状，但仅有两名患者口腔健康良好，65%的患者需要拔除一颗或多颗牙齿。患者平均超过9年未去看牙医。在这组特别高危的患者中，这种对口腔护理的忽视程度令人担忧，并且本研究表明仍需要更高标准的口腔护理，而且没有症状并不意味着口腔健康。
