New recommendations for pre-medication before dental treatment

Earlier in April, the American Heart Association and American Dental Association released new recommendations that may affect  you.  For many years, people with certain heart valve abnormalities---for example, mitral valve prolapse---have been instructed to take a large antibiotic dose an hour before certain types of dental treatment.  The theory was that some dental treatment (such as extractions, root canal treatment, cleanings, or dental surgery) can cause bacteria to enter the bloodstream.  The antibiotic regimen was designed to help eliminate these bacteria and reduce the possibility that damaged heart valves could become sites of  dangerous bacterial accumulation.   

As of now, if you have any of the following conditions, YOU NO LONGER NEED TO TAKE AN ANTIBIOTIC BEFORE ANY DENTAL TREATMENT:

       ? Mitral valve prolapse          ? Rheumatic heart disease        ? Bicuspid valve disease        ? Calcified aortic stenosis

        ? Congenital heart conditions such as ventricular septal defect, atrial septal defect, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

 

YOU DO NEED ANTIBIOTIC PREMEDICATION FOR THE FOLLOWING:

       ? Artificial heart valve(s)        ? A history of infective endocardititis         ? Certain specific, serious congenital (present from birth) heart conditions (if you had any of the conditions the AHA lists, you would have been seeing a cardiologist and have been told of the serious of the condition). 

       ? A replacement hip or knee joint.  The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons recommends premedication be taken for  any of the underlined dental treatment (above, in the first paragraph) for two years after the joint replacement.  You should check with your surgeon to see if he or she wants you premedicated for longer than two years, and make sure that your doctor communicates this to me.