Dental Medicine and Infective Endocarditis: Current guidelines for antibiotic prophylaxis and recommendations for...

Surgical interventions in the dental practice as well as interventions in the ear, nose and throat area, the skin, the respiratory, gastrointestinal or urogenital tract can lead to transient bacteremia. As a result, an infectious endocarditis (IE) may occur. Overall, this is a rare occurrence, but it is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Individuals with a history of IE, implanted valve prostheses and certain congenital heart defects are at the highest risk for IE. In dental medicine, there is a controversial debate as to whether bacteremia can occur already by chewing or brushing the teeth. Antibiotic prophylaxis for prevention of endocarditis should only be given to those patients who are at the highest risk for IE. This article discusses novelties and Swiss recommendations for antibiotic prophylaxis for highrisk patients for IE in the dental practice. In this context, antibiotic prophylaxis has gained importance for dentists, which is also reflected by the fact that the recommendations on the new endocarditis card are limited solely to dental interventions.