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Periodontal disease is a known risk factor for cardiovascular events, but might an association exist between therapeutic dental procedures and acute vascular events? To find out, investigators conducted a self-controlled case-series analysis of Medicaid claims data from 2002 through 2006.
Of 20,369 adults (median age, 67.3) with at least one primary hospital discharge diagnosis of myocardial infarction (MI) or ischemic stroke, 1152 had undergone at least one invasive dental procedure. In this cohort (ischemic stroke, 629; MI, 504; both, 19), the mean duration of observation was 4.2 years. The rate of vascular events was significantly increased in the first 4 weeks — and gradually declined within 6 months — after invasive dental procedures, c…