This study is one of many coming from the Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine that have linked oral bacteria to health problems when they escape from the mouth and enter the blood.

At Dougherty Dental we review your health history routinely to ensure we are following any protocols related your joint and heart health. As of the most recent updates from the American Heart Association and the American Orthopedic Associations, the following patients should have some form of antiobiotic prior to some dental treatments:

• artificial heart valves
• a history of infective endocarditis
• a cardiac transplant that develops a heart valve problem
• the following congenital (present from birth) heart conditions:*
  • unrepaired or incompletely repaired cyanotic congenital heart disease, including those with palliative shunts and conduits
  • a completely repaired congenital heart defect with prosthetic material or device, whether placed by surgery or by catheter intervention, during the first six months after the procedure
  • any repaired congenital heart defect with residual defect at the site or adjacent to the site of a prosthetic patch or a prosthetic device.

People who took prophylactic antibiotics in the past but no longer need them include those with:

• mitral valve prolapse
• rheumatic heart disease
• bicuspid valve disease
• calcified aortic stenosis
• congenital (present from birth) heart conditions such as ventricular septal defect, atrial septal defect and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

* Check with your cardiologist if you’re not sure whether or not you fall into one of these categories.

Those with a history of total joint replacements are currently being asked to pre-medicated with an antibiotic prior to dental treament.

As always, please don’t hesitate to ask us at Dougherty Dental in LaJolla, CA if you have any further questions regarding your oral health.