Word day, wearing braces can also cause a bacterial infection?
A fifteen-year-old girl, Leah Kitchen, nearly died of a strange disease when her braces tightened.
A week after going to the dentist, Leah Kitchen complained of high temperatures, chills, headaches, and joint and muscle pain that doctors initially dismissed as the flu.
Leah Kitchen’s mother watched her daughter’s increasingly confused behavior and forgetfulness, prompting her to take her daughter to the hospital again.
After tests, doctors found that Leah’s symptoms were caused by a bacterial infection…
At first, doctors thought she was suffering from meningitis, but after follow-up tests, the results were inconsistent.
After more tests, doctors finally confirmed that Leah had endocarditis…
Infective endocarditis (IE) refers to the inflammation of the inner lining of the heart valve or ventricle caused by direct infection of bacteria, fungi and other microorganisms (such as viruses, rickettsia, chlamydia, spirochetes, etc.), as distinct from non-infective endocarditis caused by rheumatic fever, rheumatoid disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, etc.
The valve is the most commonly affected site, but infection can occur at the site of the ventricular septal defect, chordae tendineae, and inner wall of the heart.
Arteriovenous fistulas, arterial fistulas (such as patent ductus arteriosus) or aortic stenosis are endoarteritis, but the clinical and pathological characteristics are similar to infective endocarditis.
When the doctor asked Leah how long ago her symptoms started, Leah developed the disease because of the braces she used to wear…
Leah had just gone to the dentist to have her braces tightened a week before her symptoms began, and the bacteria could have entered her blood vessels and caused a serious infection…
Eventually, Leah recovered from the surgery and went back to school.
A large number of epidemiological and laboratory studies have shown that there is a close relationship between oral microorganisms and infective endocarditis.
During normal oral treatment, microbes can enter the bloodstream and cause infections elsewhere.
A large number of studies have proved that trauma caused by oral treatment is an important cause of bacterial endocarditis caused by bacteria entering the bloodstream.
Oral health and hygiene should be given sufficient attention.
Any slight neglect can cause untold consequences.
