Tooth extractions before cardiac surgery don’t fully eliminate complications, according to a report from DentistryToday.com. 

“Prosthetic heart valve-caused endocarditis results in about 25 percent of infective endocarditis cases and is fatal for almost 40 percent of patients who develop it. That’s why physicians try to pinpoint any risk factors, such as poor dental health, prior to surgery. Extracting diseased teeth is common but there isn’t much research suggesting whether or not it truly helps,” as explained in the staff report.

A study by the Mayo Clinic indicates that about one of 10 cardiac surgery patients ended up having a stroke or kidney failure even after having a tooth pulled before the procedure. (Information appears in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.)

Read the full story here at Dentistry Today.