Listen up!!!!

Every other Friday morning you can listen to Dr. Vander Vliet on the radio. He will be on WRNJ tomorrow, April 1st (no April Fools!), at 7:40am. WRNJ can be heard on 92.7 FM, 104.7 FM and 1510 AM. Dr. Vander Vliet will be speaking about the following important information:

Premedication using Antibiotics before dental procedures.

 Bacteria in the mouth can enter the bloodstream after dental procedures, especially cleanings.

 Not a problem for healthy individuals.

 Patients with heart defects or artificial valves require premedication with antibiotics – usually one hour before their dental visit – to prevent SUBACUTE BACTERIAL ENDOCARDITIS which is a heart infection.

 This is a change from the American Heart Association recommendations relaxing the requirement due to the fact that there is more of a risk by taking the antibiotics eg: allergic reaction and an increase in resistant strains of bacteria.

 The American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons in 2009 recommends that all patients with joint replacements be covered with antibiotics to prevent prosthesis infection.

 People with plates, pins & screws do not need the antibiotics.**




Summary
Patients with congenital heart defects, heart valves or artificial joints require premedication.

Patients that have pacemakers, defibrillators, pins, screws or plates do not generally require premedication.

Recent case – a woman with an artificial knee was hospitalized with a severe staph infection around her artificial joint. It was determined that the infection originated from her mouth due to poor oral hygiene.

*It is advisable to have a thorough exam and a good cleaning before any major surgery to reduce the possibility of infection.

**Medically compromised patients generally need premedication if they have any of the above conditions.