The technical medical names for a wide number of circulatory ill health problems which can occur as side effects to root canal therapy are endocarditis, myocarditis, pericarditis ,heart block, aortitis, angina pectoris, phlebitis, arteriosclerosis, hyper and hypotension, anemia, leukopenia, leukocystosis, lymphopenia, lymphocytosis, bacteremia and glycemia.

There is a tendency to regard diseases which can arise from dental infections as being relatively few in number and variation. The preceding list of circulatory diseases Dr.Price found could result from a dental infection helps us see the enormity of the problem.

During the time of World War I, it was said that 10 to 11 percent of all deaths in the Unitedf States and England were due to heart involvement. At the time,most heart cases involved lesions of heart valves, and many doctors believed streptococcal infections were involved as the cause in 90 percent of such cases.

As recently as 1986, the Mayo Clinic Health Letter stated that infective endocarditis which involves the interior lining of the heart's pumping chambers and valves is mainly caused by the germ called streptococcus vifidans. These are the very same family of bacteria that Price found to be most often present in infected teeth.

In view of the importance of streptococcus and other oral bacteria in the cause of heart disease, and the fact that the number of deaths from this illness has increased since Dr. Price's time from 10 percent to more than 50 percent of all deaths currently, the dental profession must reassess its role in preventing and treating this disorder.

Because these bacteria commonly inhabit the mouth and upper respiratory tract and can be stirred up and introduced into the circulation by routine dental care and even prophlaxis, it is now mandatory for dentists to prescribe antibiotics before and after any dental treatment procedures for patients who have endocarditis in order to prevent a secondary reinfection of their hearts. However, there is little awareness that root canal fillings,infected tonsils,or remaining tonsil tags can be of even greater danger to heart disease patients.

Of several cases of endocarditis mentioned,one which described the case of a nine year old girl is heart-rending. She had been confirmed to bed for five of her nine years. A cullture taken from the pulps of two of her deciduous (baby) teeth was injected into ear veins of three rabbits and each of them developed acute endocarditis and myocar- ditis, and one also developed rheumatism. One of the rabbits developed the greatest enlargement of a heart ever seen.

Many children with endocarditis were found to have a delayed loss of their baby teeth due to slow development of the permanent teeth. In addition, a contributing cause was found to be low amounts of ionic calcium in their blood.

Angina pectoris cases exhibited little historical connection to infections. However,several patients with angina, upon removal of infected teeth, had rapid disappearance of their heart pains.

When root filled teeth were removed many severely affected individuals were able to live a vigorous life again with both comfort and efficiency. A typical case history was a 23 year old woman who was suffering from very acute heart involvement and rheumatism. The heart trouble was so bad that should could hardly walk across the room. After extractions of infected teeth, she gained 15 pounds and for the five years studied while under Dr. Price's care she maintained a perfect health pattern in spite of the fact that both her parents had died of heart involvement between 55 and 60 years of age.

Copyright (c) 2007 Sung Lee, and George Meinig D.D.S