Abstract

Infective Endocarditis (IE) is a rare, severe, and complex disease. As a result, it has been the subject of research for decades, and the prevention of IE in at-risk individuals has been the focus of international guidelines since 1955, when the American Heart Association (AHA) first advocated for antibiotic prophylaxis (AP) prior to invasive medical and dental procedures. However, due to the potential development of antibiotic resistance, in 2007, the AHA recommended that AP be administered only to patients at high risk for IE, significantly reducing the number of antibiotics prescribed as prophylaxis. Therefore, the aim of this review article is to evaluate, based on the literature, the impacts of the 2007 AHA recommendation regarding AP, addressing key topics related to dental management, and emphasizing the need for dental surgeons to stay updated on developments concerning IE.

Keywords

dentistry, endocarditis, antibiotic prophylaxis