Antibiotics: Your Heart, Joints and Dental Procedures II - Dr. Charles Bell

The current guidelines recommend the use the use of preventive antibiotics prior to certain dental procedures for people with:

• artificial heart valves

• history of infective endocarditis

• cardiac transplant that develops a heart valve problem

• the following congenital heart conditions:

• unrepaired or incompletely repaired cyanotic congenital heart disease,   including those with palliative shunts and conduits

• a completely repaired congenital heart defect with prosthetic material or devise regardless of surgery technique for the first 6 months after the procedure

• any repaired congenital heart defect with residual defect at the site or proximal to the site of a prosthetic patch or device

People who previously fell within the guidelines, but now no longer need antibiotics include patients with:

• mitral valve prolapsed

• rheumatic heart disease

• bicuspid valve disease

• calcified aortic stenosis

• congenital heart conditions such as ventricular septal defect, atrial septal defect and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Joint Replacements:

Recommendations from the AAOS are meant to reduce the risk of infections at the site of an artificial joint. They apply to patients who have total joint replacements. In the past the group needing antibiotic coverage from an orthopedic perspective included patients with pins, plates, or other orthopedic hardware. Under the new guidelines this is not the case anymore.

The dental procedures normally included in these guidelines are those that are most likely to induce bleeding. These include dental cleanings, gum treatments, dental surgery, extractions and invasive restorative procedures. Please consult with your cardiologist, orthopedic surgeon, and your dentist if you have any questions concerning your medical condition and antibiotic prophylaxis.