Introduction
The American Heart Association (AHA) has released new guidelines for dental antibiotic prophylaxis in 2023. These guidelines are designed to help prevent bacterial endocarditis and other infections that can occur during dental procedures.
What is Dental Antibiotic Prophylaxis?
Dental antibiotic prophylaxis is the use of antibiotics before a dental procedure to prevent infections. This is recommended for people who are at a higher risk of developing bacterial infections, such as those with heart conditions.
Why the Need for New Guidelines?
The AHA periodically updates its guidelines to reflect new research and changing best practices. In 2023, the AHA updated its dental antibiotic prophylaxis guidelines to reflect new evidence and to simplify the recommendations.
New Guidelines
Who Should Get Antibiotics?
Under the new guidelines, only a small number of people are recommended to receive antibiotics before dental procedures. These include people with prosthetic heart valves, a history of infective endocarditis, certain congenital heart conditions, and heart transplant recipients with valve regurgitation.
Who Does Not Need Antibiotics?
Most people do not need antibiotics before dental procedures, including those with mitral valve prolapse, rheumatic heart disease, bicuspid valve disease, and calcified aortic stenosis.
What Antibiotics Should be Used?
The new guidelines recommend using amoxicillin as the first choice antibiotic for those who need prophylaxis. For those who are allergic to penicillin, clindamycin or azithromycin are recommended.
When Should Antibiotics be Taken?
Antibiotics should be taken one hour before the dental procedure. This allows enough time for the antibiotics to reach therapeutic levels in the bloodstream.
Conclusion
The new dental antibiotic prophylaxis guidelines from the AHA in 2023 simplify recommendations and reduce the number of people who need antibiotics before dental procedures. If you have any questions about whether you need antibiotics before a dental procedure, talk to your dentist or doctor.