Since infective endocarditis (IE) is a life-threatening infection, dentists should be aware of antibiotic prophylaxis guidelines. The American Heart Association (AHA) 4 and the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (BSAC) 2 have currently updated their recommendations. In general, both guidelines reflect the need to avoid the overuse of antibiotics, which may lead to the development of...

AIMS The aim of this single-site, randomized, controlled, double-blind, 3-arm parallel study was to determine the effectiveness of a prophylaxis paste containing 15% calcium sodium phosphosilicate (CSPS; NovaMin(®) ) with and without fluoride in reducing dentine hypersensitivity immediately after a single application and 28 days following dental scaling and root planing. MATERIALS & METHODS O...

Antibiotic prophylaxis for preventing infective endocarditis is unproven. The recently issued American Heart Association guidelines for endocarditis prevention call for restricting the use of preprocedure antibiotics. We discuss how these revisions apply to clinical practice in patients undergoing elective medical and dental procedures.

We report what we believe is the first reported case of Streptococcus mutans endocarditis complicated by vertebral discitis. The case is particularly interesting and topical as it occurred in a patient with pre-existing cardiac valvular disease who had recently had a dental procedure without antibiotic prophylaxis following a dramatic shift in the UK guidelines.

Among the featured topics: oncolytic immunotherapy, BRAF/MEK inhibition, and a programmed death-1 inhibitor at the Society for Melanoma Research; and anticoagulation therapy, an alternative to statins, and endocarditis in the absence of dental antibiotic prophylaxis at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions.

These guidelines have been produced following a literature review of the requirement for prophylaxis to prevent bacterial endocarditis following dental and surgical interventions. Recommendations are made based on the quality of available evidence and the consequent risk of morbidity and mortality for "at risk" patients.

Glucocorticosteroids are a product of the adrenal cortex and perform a staggering number of physiological effects essential for life. Their clinical use is largely predicated on their anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive properties, but they also have notable efficacy in the prophylaxis of postoperative nausea and vomiting. This article reviews the basic functions of glucocorticoids and thei...