The Minnesota Dental
Association wants dental patients with heart disease to know that most
heart patients will no longer need to take antibiotics before receiving
dental treatment. New guidelines have been adopted by both the American
Heart Association and the American Dental Association which should
significantly reduce the number of patients needing to take a course of
antibiotics before a dental appointment.
The new guidelines are based on scientific research showing that the
risks of taking preventive antibiotics outweigh the risks for most heart
patients. The new guidelines developed by the American Heart Association
and adopted by the American Dental Association recommend antibiotic
treatment shortly before a dental visit only for those heart patients at
highest risk.
"This is very good news for most heart patients and should simplify
dental visits for many seniors and others with more common heart
conditions," said President of the Minnesota Dental Association, Dr.
Richard Wiberg, whose practice is located in Roseville. "We want patients
with heart conditions to check carefully to see if they no longer need to
take a course of antibiotics before a dental cleaning or other treatment."
Heart patients who routinely took antibiotics before a dental visit in
the past but no longer need to are those with rheumatic heart disease,
calcified aortic stenosis and mitral valve prolapse, bicuspid valve disease
as well as those with certain congenital heart conditions such as
hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
Antibiotics before a dental visit are now recommended only for those
heart Patients with artificial heart valves, heart transplant patients who
develop cardiac valve problems, certain congenital heart disease,
recipients of an artificial patch to repair a congenital defect within the
past six months or patients with a history of IE. For a complete list, go
to: ada.
The Minnesota Dental Association is the voice of dentistry in
Minnesota, representing 83% of practicing dentists. It is committed to the
highest standards of oral health and access to care for all Minnesotans.
You can learn more at mndental
Minnesota Dental Association
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