Original Research Article Bacteremia after Dental Procedures

Aims and objective: Dental extraction and scaling are very simple dental procedures carried out routinely in most outpatient departments. However, these seemingly innocuous procedures have been known to result in transient bacteremia which may cause problems in patients with cardiac valve defects, with prosthetic joints, in patients with renal transplant and in immunocompromised patients. In pregnant women with periodontal disease transient bacteremia increases three to five times greater risk of preterm birth. In the present study, the incidence, type, intensity and duration of bacteremia following dental procedure was assessed. Materials and methods: Aerobic and anaerobic blood culture and quantitative estimation of bacteremia was studied for up to 30 min. after dental procedures. As a control group bacteremia was assessed in ten individuals after mastication. Results: The incidence of bacteremia was 80 % after dental procedure. In 50 % patients bacteremia wa