CORRELATION BETWEEN ORAL HYGIENE AND HEART HEALTH: AWARENESS AND INNOVATIVE STRATEGIES IN MANAGING THE RISK OF BACTERIAL ENDOCARDITIS

Aim: to assess awareness about the correlation between oral hygiene and bacterial endocarditis among the population and healthcare professionals, exploring prevention and risk management strategies. Methods: two questionnaires with Google Forms were developed: an 11-question questionnaire administered to 377 potential patients and a 9-question questionnaire addressed to 30 healthcare professionals to analyze knowledge and habits. In addition, a clinical case of patient with a congenital heart valve defect who had undergone twice valve replacements and was therefore at high risk of endocarditis was studied. She presented with a hairy tongue, halitosis, and high levels of gingival pathogens. Treatment included professional oral hygiene, photodynamic therapy and probiotics, with bacterial load monitoring. Results: 50.4% of patients showed limited knowledge of the correlation between oral hygiene and cardiovascular risk, while 28.6% were unaware of it. Among professionals, 93.3% considered themselves very informed, but 20% did not broach the subject with patients. In the clinical case, high levels of E. corrodens and C. hominis were found, bacteria from green complex strictly associated with endocarditis. After treatment, an improvement in lingual condition and a reduction in oral bacterial load from 20% to 11% was observed. Conclusions: data highlight the need for a multidisciplinary approach to the prevention of bacterial endocarditis. Photodynamic therapy and probiotics showed potential in risk management and should be further investigated in clinical settings.