Endocarditis from a drop of blood?

[Wendel]

I am studying endocarditis. There are studies and countries where antibiotic prophylaxis is no longer recommended before dental operations. The main advice is: "keep your mouth clean and free of plaque." I want to know if when I am cleaning my teeth and for some reason my gums bleed (without having gingivitis or some other infection) I can get endocarditis, or maybe if I bite my tongue while eating, or if I get a splinter in my gum. It is a very controversial topic.

 

[dick0236]

It is a very controversial topic.

It is that! In the beginning of OHS for valve replacement(1960s-70s), my doctors or dentists never stressed any need for antibiotics before invasive dental work and I never took any. That meant I did not pre-medicate before dental work for the first 20-25 years.........with no problem. For the last 25+ years I have taken antibiotics(Amoxicillin) prior to any invasive dental work (cleaning, tooth removal, etc.), anything that causes bleeding and have had no problems. It may be a "coin flip" as to the need for pre-medication, but I think I will continue my Amoxicillin. I live by the old saying "If it ain't broke, don't fix it".

 

[carolinemc]

I am studying endocarditis. There are studies and countries where antibiotic prophylaxis is no longer recommended before dental operations. The main advice is: "keep your mouth clean and free of plaque." I want to know if when I am cleaning my teeth and for some reason my gums bleed (without having gingivitis or some other infection) I can get endocarditis, or maybe if I bite my tongue while eating, or if I get a splinter in my gum. It is a very controversial topic.

Hope you are going to reliable source, for not all studies are complete and outdated. And all countries use the antibiotics in infection protection and is very reliable in endocarditis prevention. Here where you can have this happen, no medication, have infection in the gums, get a cleaning and hours later you are rushed to the hospital and find you have endocarditis. That was from the infection of the gums. Happens a lot to unmedicated patients.

 

[3mm]

There are studies and countries where antibiotic prophylaxis is no longer recommended before dental operations.

In the USA antibiotics before dental procedures is the standard for anyone with a mechanical heart valve. I think I've also seen this in information from England. I have not looked at other countries. There doesn't seem to be any good reason to not take antibiotics before dental procedures.

Since I have a mechanical aortic valve, I will also take amoxicillin before my cardiac ablation procedure next week.

 

[3mm]

have infection in the gums, get a cleaning and hours later you are rushed to the hospital and find you have endocarditis.

Please remember that some of us had major damage from endocarditis before we got sick enough to rush to the hospital. DON'T FOOL AROUND with any risk of endocarditis!