Before undergoing invasive dental operations, persons with specific heart disorders are advised to take antibiotics. The benefits of this approach for lowering the incidence of endocarditis, a dangerous heart infection frequently brought on by oral bacteria, have been confirmed by a recent study.
The study, which was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology on September 13, 2022, used dental and medical records from about eight million individuals, including over 36,000 who were at high risk for endocarditis. This includes those who have a history of endocarditis, certain congenital cardiac abnormalities, or a heart valve that has been replaced or repaired.
Prior to invasive dental treatments, only approximately one-third of patients at high risk for endocarditis received antibiotics. The risk of endocarditis was 12.5 times higher after oral surgery and 10 times higher after tooth extraction for those who did not receive antibiotics.