New Recommendations on Prophylaxis and Joint Replacement

The American Dental Association (ADA) Council on Scientific Affairs in January released updated clinical practice guidelines on the need for prophylaxis among patients with prosthetic joint implants. The new recommendations state that the use of prophylactic antibiotics or any antibiotics administered to prevent the risk of infection is contraindicated for the prevention of prosthetic joint infections. This guidance was first published in the Journal of the American Dental Association.

The council stated that the current body of evidence fails to demonstrate a direct correlation between dental procedures and infection in prosthetic joints. This recommendation follows the 2012 guidelines, “Prevention of Orthopaedic Implant Infection in Patients Undergoing Dental Procedures: Evidence- Based Guideline and Evidence Report.”

The new recommendation, titled “The Use of Prophylactic Antibiotics Prior to Dental Procedures in Patients with Prosthetic Joints: Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline for Dental Practitioners,” can be viewed at: ada.org.

From Dimensions of Dental Hygiene. March 2015;13(3):13–14.