Saturday, January 7, 2012

Reducing the Use of Antibiotics in Dentistry

For many years it's been disposition dental convention to treat all patients with a history of rheumatic fever, mitral valve prolapsed, or other such disorders with antibiotics.

It was believed that streptococcal bacteria in the mouth could enter the bloodstream during disposition dental procedures, such as cleaning teeth that may induce a bleeding condition. These bacteria could lodge themselves in the valves of the heart leading to a condition known as valvular endocarditis.

The unabridged use of antibiotics unfortunately exposes many thousands of patients to antibiotics each year who are not ill. It also can present a extra dilemma to patients who have yeast related illnesses.

Many suffer from mitral valve prolapse, a condition of the heart valve that puts them at "greater risk" for valve-related problems. However, they can also taste aggravation of their condition when they're on antibiotics for any reason.

For decades, dentists have followed the disposition prescribing of antibiotics during dental work approximately without question. Since prescribing antibiotics to "at risk" patients undergoing disposition dental procedures is the legal suitable of practice, all dentists are expected, and obligated, to comply.

As a biological dentist, I've always been involved about the amount of antibiotics given to our patients. There's no quiz, that the heart must be protected at all cost. However, it is challenging to note the contents of a paper entitled "Preventing Bacterial Endocarditis: A Statement for the Dental Profession," written by the Council on Dental Therapeutics of the American Heart association (Aha). It states that, "Endocarditis may occur despite suitable antibiotics prophylaxis..."

It also states, "Because no adequate, controlled clinical trials of antibiotic regimens for the stoppage of bacterial endocarditis in humans have been done, recommendations are based on indirect information..."

Therefore, without conclusive evidence, in April 2007, the Aha ultimately decided to turn its position about prophylactic coverage for compromised dental patients.

If you have the following conditions and have taken prophylactic antibiotics routinely in the past, you no longer need them: mitral valve prolapsed, rheumatic heart disease, bicuspid valve disease or calcified aortic stenosis.

Who should still receive antibiotic prophylaxis? Those with an artificial cardiac valve, former infective endocarditis, congenital heart disease, or a cardiac transplant recipient who develops a cardiac valvulopathy.

As always, it is advisable to check with your doctor to confirm this facts on an personel basis This activity taken by the Aha is without fail a step in the right direction. We must learn to sacrifice the amount of antibiotics that have been administered in situations that cannot substantiate its medicinal usage. This concerted effort reduces the growing qoute of antibiotic resistance that results from the overuse of these drugs.

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