The heart and circulation: Dental assisting

The cardiovascular system functions as a transport system, supporting every tissue and organ. It transports blood, oxygen, and nutrients to cells, removes cellular waste products, and helps regulate temperature and chemical balance.

Now, there’s clear evidence linking cardiovascular disease to poor oral health and periodontal disease, which involves gum infection, inflammation, and tooth damage. Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death worldwide;

So, as a dental assistant, your knowledge of the cardiovascular system and the importance of good oral health is crucial for helping patients live healthier lives and is essential for providing safe and effective patient care.

Now, let’s begin exploring the cardiovascular system by looking at the heart. The heart is a muscular organ about the size of a closed fist, located in the thoracic cavity between the lungs and above the diaphragm.

It’s wrapped in a protective sac called the pericardium, which contains fluid to reduce friction as the heart beats.

The heart functions as a double pump: the right-side pumps blood to the lungs for oxygenation, while the left side pumps oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body. Amazingly, on average, it pumps about 4,000 gallons of blood every day!

Inside the heart are four chambers: two atria on top that receive blood from outside the heart, and two ventricles below that pump blood out of the heart.

One-way valves between the chambers work like doors that only open one way to prevent backflow and to keep blood flowing in the correct direction.

The tricuspid valve separates the right atrium and right ventricle, while the mitral valve lies between the left atrium and the left ventricle. The pulmonary and aortic semilunar valves control blood flow out of the heart.

Alright, let’s examine how blood flows throughout the cardiovascular system. First, oxygen-poor blood enters the right atrium through the superior and inferior vena cava.

It flows into the right ventricle, and is pumped to the lungs through the pulmonary artery. In the lungs, gas exchange occurs, meaning carbon dioxide is removed from the blood while oxygen enters the blood. Then, the oxygen-rich blood returns to the left atrium through the pulmonary veins. From there, the blood moves into the left ventricle, and is pumped through the aorta to nourish the entire body.