The oral health status, behaviours and knowledge of patients with cardiovascular disease in Sydney Australia: a cross-sectional survey

Paula Sanchez,Shilpi Ajwani,Ajesh George,Yenna Salamonson,Julie Redfern,Maria Sheehan,Rohan Rajaratnam,Bronwyn Everett,Fiona Skarligos,Lissa Spencer,Sameer Bhole,Karen Lintern,Ravi Srinivas,Samantha Nolan,Joshua Bishop

doi:10.1186/s12903-018-0697-x

Abstract

BackgroundPeriodontal disease is a risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and it is recommended internationally that patients with cardiovascular disease should engage in preventative oral health practices and attend regular dental care visits. This study aimed to explore the oral health status, behaviours and knowledge of patients with cardiovascular disease.MethodsA cross-sectional questionnaire containing 31 items was administered to patients with cardiovascular disease from cardiac rehabilitation and outpatient clinics in Sydney Australia in 2016–2017.ResultsOf the 318 patients surveyed, 81.1% reported having at least one oral health problem. Over a third (41.2%) of participants had not seen a dentist in the preceding 12 months and 10.7% had received any oral healthcare information in the cardiac setting. Those with valvular conditions were more likely to have received information compared to those with other cardiovascular conditions (40.6% versus 7.4%, p < 0.001). Only half of the participants had adequate oral health knowledge.ConclusionsDespite a high incidence of reported oral health problems, many patients lacked knowledge about oral health, were not receiving oral health information from cardiac care providers and had difficulty accessing dental services. Further research is needed to develop oral health strategies in this area.

Highlights

Periodontal disease is a risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and it is recommended internationally that patients with cardiovascular disease should engage in preventative oral health practices and attend regular dental care visits
There is an association between periodontal disease and the prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) with growing evidence suggesting that periodontal disease is a risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) [1,2,3]
International consensus statements recognise the relevance of the association between periodontal disease and ASCVD and recommend preventative oral health approaches to be adopted in cardiac care settings [2, 7, 16] and that all patients with CVD engage in preventative oral health practices and attend regular dental care to reduce cardiovascular risks [16,17,18]

Summary

Introduction

Periodontal disease is a risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and it is recommended internationally that patients with cardiovascular disease should engage in preventative oral health practices and attend regular dental care visits. Periodontal disease or periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting the tooth supporting tissues and bone International consensus statements recognise the relevance of the association between periodontal disease and ASCVD and recommend preventative oral health approaches to be adopted in cardiac care settings [2, 7, 16] and that all patients with CVD engage in preventative oral health practices and attend regular dental care to reduce cardiovascular risks [16,17,18]

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Discussion

Conclusion