Getting to the heart of good dental health at The Prince Charles Hospital

Dentist Dr Arnella Desilva and Dental Assistant Yukiko Matsuo get to the heart of good dental health at The Prince Charles Dental Clinic.

Did you know that ensuring good oral health is an important consideration for cardiac patients prior to heart valve surgery?

Eliminating sources of infection in the mouth reduces the risk of a patient facing complications or contracting a life-threatening infection such as infective endocarditis following heart surgery.

Metro North Health is focusing on improving integration across the system, delivering the right care, in the right place, at the right time for patients, leading to improved health outcomes.

Dentist Dr Arnella Desilva said it was important for cardiac patients who may require sudden heart valve surgery and must be deemed ‘dentally fit’ for their treatment.

“We want to ensure there’s no active infection in the mouth that can go into the bloodstream and affect the new heart valves,” Dr Desilva said.

That’s just one of the many benefits that the new inpatient dental clinic at The Prince Charles Hospital now provides.

Previously, cardiac inpatients requiring urgent dental treatment had to travel off-site, which could be a complicated process.

Now The Prince Charles Dental Clinic team is great at getting to the root of dental health problems for eligible patients.

The clinic is currently open two days per week and will expand to three later this year. It is staffed by a senior dentist, dental assistant and clinical nurse.

The clinic is also helping cystic fibrosis inpatients, mental health inpatients with acute or chronic dental conditions, as well as selected cases from the Emergency Department.

Since opening in December 2025, more than 34 inpatients have received treatment, with appointments tailored to individual needs.

The clinic is part of the Metro North Community and Oral Health Directorate, delivering dental services across hospitals (as far north as Kilcoy), community clinics and a school program in Brisbane’s north and the Moreton Bay region.

For more details on Metro North Oral Health services, visit the website.