Dental Care ~ 1st appointment to the denist in a month, previous endo, worried!

[ottagal]

"Still I don't think it can hurt and so I plan to do it before flossing and dental work. " AZ Don

Thanks for sharing the information, AZ Don. I completely agree that I would rather do a pre-procedural rinse than not.

"To give an idea of the difference between a cleaning and a deep cleaning, the mouth is normally fully numbed for a deep cleaning, the way part of it would be for a cavity repair." AZ Don

For anyone who is interested in reading more details of what a 'deep cleaning' entails (also known as periodontal scaling and root planing), here is a Wikipedia definition.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scaling_and_root_planing

 

[Heart Of The Sunrise]

My cardiologist has instructed me to take 2 grams of amoxicillin before even a routine dental procedure. I continue my normal daily regimen of Coumadin.

 

[njean]

Does anyone here use Chlorhexidine mouthwash?

I just ordered some....they don't sell it in the US so I bought it on line from a company in the UK. I started using it 3 days ago, twice a day. I brush and floss 3x a day and use the mouthwash after.

Note: The name of it is Corsodyl, contains chlorhexidine digluconate. I like the way my mouth feels after rinsing with it but the strong taste takes some getting used to.

 

[njean]

I just ordered some.... they don't sell it in the US so I bought it on line from a company in the UK. I started using it 3 days ago, twice a day. I brush and floss 3x a day and use the mouthwash after.

Note: The name of it is Corsodyl, contains chlorhexidine digluconate. I like the way my mouth feels after rinsing with it but the strong taste takes some getting used to.

One more note: I meant to write that they WILL NOT sell it to you in the U.S. unless you have an Rx from a dentist.

 

[Eva]

I think I get it now. . . DEEP cleaning means that they reach DEEP into your pocket....

Right to the point, Steve! ����

As for deep cleaning, I used to do it regularly as my previous dentists/periodontist thought I needed it! Luckily for me, my last periodontist was *contienscious* not to do deep cleaning for me! It was not a necessary routine! He cared for my gum health more than for his pocket wealth! Once the pockets are CLEANED he recommended three (or four) regular cleanings/year is better (in my personal situation). Unfortunately, and not knowing better, my gum has receded more and more every time others performed it unnecessarily or simply as a "needed routine"! My gum did not recede anymore once I stopped deep cleaning. Good flossing and brushing will keep gum healthy and teeth clean.

 

[Eva]

........ my understanding was endocarditis could develop for other reasons other than being dentally related. Perhaps, I am wrong.

Dear Ottagal,

You understanding is correct, as usual! Though good oral hygiene may minimize only one source of the causes, You are right there are other causes as quoted below from NIH WEBSITE:

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/endo/causes.html

QUOTE:

What Causes Endocarditis:

Infective endocarditis (IE) occurs if bacteria, fungi, or other germs invade your bloodstream and attach to abnormal areas of your heart. Certain factors increase the risk of this happening.

A common underlying factor in IE is a structural heart defect, especially faulty heart valves. Usually your immune system will kill germs in your bloodstream. However, if your heart has a rough lining or abnormal valves, the invading germs can attach and multiply in the heart.

Other factors also can play a role in causing IE. Common activities, such as brushing your teeth or having certain dental procedures, can allow bacteria to enter your bloodstream. This is even more likely to happen if your teeth and gums are in poor condition.

Having a catheter (tube) or another medical device inserted through your skin, especially for long periods, also can allow bacteria to enter your bloodstream. People who use intravenous (IV) drugs also are at risk for IE because of the germs on needles and syringes.

Bacteria also may spread to the blood and heart from infections in other parts of the body, such as the gut, skin, or genitals.

Unquote.

 

[OldManEmu]

I have had endocarditis, however I am not familiar with what the definition of what deep cleaning is. I have had anti biotics with any new dental work since my first surgery.
I brush twice a day and floss once a day with occasional blood and have been advised that this is less risky for reinfection with endocarditis than no dental hygiene at all.

 

[Lynlw]

I don't know if it makes any difference, but the past few years, Justin has used sonic toothbrushes and the dentist has noticed a difference Since Justin got BE after losing a baby tooth (molar) we figure it can't hurt. There are some really inexpensive sonic toothbrushes available now.

 

[njean]

I have always been good and gone for my dental appts. every six months as scheduled. And like others, I pre-med before my appt. with 2000mg of Amox before the appt.

That said, in the last two years or so, I've noticed that I have gotten more sinus infections and upper respiratory infections than ever before and I've had to go through a couple or three different antibiotics before finding the one that will kill the infection. Could there be a connection there? Could it be that by having to go on 2000 on Amox every six months for dental appts., brought down the effectiveness of antibiotics in my body to kill off infections? Makes me wonder.

 

[Jkm7]

I don't know if it makes any difference, but the past few years, Justin has used sonic toothbrushes and the dentist has noticed a difference Since Justin got BE after losing a baby tooth (molar) we figure it can't hurt. There are some really inexpensive sonic toothbrushes available now.

Same for me. I started using a Sonicare toothbrush several years ago and my hygenist and dentist both commented they could see a difference in my mouth.

 

[Eva]

I have always been good and gone for my dental appts. every six months as scheduled. And like others, I pre-med before my appt. with 2000mg of Amox before the appt.

That said, in the last two years or so, I've noticed that I have gotten more sinus infections and upper respiratory infections than ever before and I've had to go through a couple or three different antibiotics before finding the one that will kill the infection. Could there be a connection there? Could it be that by having to go on 2000 on Amox every six months for dental appts., brought down the effectiveness of antibiotics in my body to kill off infections? Makes me wonder.

I don't think so, my dear Norma. If your sinus infection was caused by a virus, you did not need antibiotics. If it was due to bacteria, read the below from Webmd site:
http://answers.webmd.com/answers/1173662/how-is-a-sinus-infection-treated

"
The five most common bacteria causing sinus infections are Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus pyogenes. The antibiotics that are effective treatment for sinus infection must be able to kill these bacterial types. Although amoxicillin (Amoxil) is an acceptable first antibiotic for an uncomplicated acute sinus infection, many physicians choose amoxicillin-clavulanate (Augmentin) as the first-line drug for treatment of a suspected bacterial sinus infection because it is usually effective against most of the species and strains of bacteria that cause the disease.
"

I wish you well with no more infections :smile2:

 

[njean]

I wish you well with no more infections :smile2:[/QUOTE]


Thank you sweet friend!

My doc has given me doxycycline the last few times when I've had the sinus infections but I usually have to have two treatments of it because one session does not appear to be strong enough.....the infection returns soon after I finish the treatment. And Augmentin.....oh, my God...that drug made me so sick one time that I ended up in the hospital! I have it listed as a "cannot tolerate Augmentin" in my drug list that I carry with me, along with codine.

Luckily for me though, I have been pretty healthy the last few months! Praying this trend continues......

Take care dear lady!

 

[njean]

Sorry Sash, didn't mean to hijack your thread.....got carried away!

 

[Agian]

I just ordered some....they don't sell it in the US so I bought it on line from a company in the UK. I started using it 3 days ago, twice a day. I brush and floss 3x a day and use the mouthwash after.

Note: The name of it is Corsodyl, contains chlorhexidine digluconate. I like the way my mouth feels after rinsing with it but the strong taste takes some getting used to.

I want to use it in the long-term, twice a day. I'm just not sure it's OK to use this stuff for years. No-one seems to know.

 

[Agian]

I had to use it for about a year - since I almost destroyed my gums by using the Listerine!!!

Note to anyone using Listerine - use Listerine Zero instead of straight Listerine.... to prevent dry mouth which could lead to (as in my case) an increase in very scary and harmful bacteria - the exact opposite of what you want!

I was very lucky mine didn't lead to something worse........

Yikes. Is Listerine Zero effective?

 

[AZ Don]

I had to use it for about a year - since I almost destroyed my gums by using the Listerine!!!

Note to anyone using Listerine - use Listerine Zero instead of straight Listerine.... to prevent dry mouth which could lead to (as in my case) an increase in very scary and harmful bacteria - the exact opposite of what you want!

I was very lucky mine didn't lead to something worse........

How does Listerine harm gums? Listerine is approved by the American Dental Association. I don't believe Listerine Zero is. Not sure how much this approval means, but many mouth rinses do not have this approval. Listerine says that Zero has the same active ingredients, but doesn't alcohol also kill bacteria?

I see that dry mouth is something to be avoided:

Why Is Dry Mouth a Problem?

Besides causing the aggravating symptoms mentioned above, dry mouth also increases a person's risk of gingivitis (gum disease), tooth decay, and mouth infections, such as thrush.

from: http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/dental-health-dry-mouth

And so it makes sense to focus on mouth rinses that do not cause dry mouth.

 

[epstns]

I guess that makes me appreciate my dentists (a brother ans sister team). They recommend, and my cardio coucurs, normal cleaning 4 times annually with my usual 600 mg of clindamycin before any procedure.

Unfortunately, this is one of those things that borders on superstition. It (your routine) always works until it doesn't, and then we don't know what caused the problem.

 

[AdrockTN]

pretty sure I got endocarditis after my routine bi-annual teeth cleaning ... I can't tie it back to anything else ... that being said, I like to think the endocarditis could've been a positive thing ... if I had an abnormal valve, I may have never known until it was too late ...