Infective Endocarditis Prophylaxis in Dentistry: Current Perspective

Abstract

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a important heart disease with high morbidity and mortality. Current guidelines suggest antibiotic prohylaxis (AP) to individuals having high risk of IE. These high risk patients include the patients with background of IE, biological or a mechanical prosthetic valve, or a surgically constructed systemic or pulmonary conduit/ shunt. The restriction of AP is due to concerns about increased comprehension regarding antibiotic resistance and daily incidence of bacteraemia. Many researchers have examined the effect of restricting AP on the incidence of IE and found different results. Since these studies are mostly observational, researchers could not establish a causal link between the limitation of AP and the change in the incidence of IE. Until the subject is clarified with randomizedcontrolled studies, dental professionals should periodically visit guidelines for updates on AP.