Valvular heart disease and heart failure: dental management considerations.

Approximately 5 million people are diagnosed with valvular heart disease in the United States each year. Many of these will present to the general dentist for routine dental care. The dentist must then understand the implications of this disease process to treat these patients safely and effectively. Of course patients with pathologic valve disease are managed in close consultation with their physicians. Even so, a dentist with knowledge of the disease process, as well as its diagnosis and treatment, has greater confidence when treating these patients. This article summarizes issues related to valvular heart disease and heart failure and provides guidance to dentists treating patients with such conditions.