Antibiotic Prophylaxis

"I forgot to take my antibiotic - is that a problem?" You bet it is! When patients forget to take their antibiotic prophylaxis there may be no alternative except to reschedule the appointment. Here is what some dental practices do to prevent or remedy this situation:

1. Write on the patient's appointment card in red ink "take antibiotic at ___".

2. If your office calls or emails to confirm appointments, be sure to remind the patient about taking the antibiotic.

3. Keep amoxicillin and clindamycin in the office for patients who forget to take the antibiotic. One of those antibiotics will work for most patients who require antibiotic prophylaxis (see regimens below) and they are inexpensive.

4. Some offices have all patients who require antibiotic prophylaxis to come early to the appointment and take the dose in the office.

Helpful resources:

Prevention of infective endocarditis: Guidelines from the American Heart Association (pdf)

American Heart Association regimen summary (pdf)

Antibiotics and your heart (patient handout) (pdf)

American Heart Association wallet card (pdf)

Frequently asked questions (link to ADA website):

http://www.ada.org/prof/resources/topics/infective_endocarditis_faq.asp#patientinfo

Antibiotic prophylaxis for dental patients with total joint replacements (last page contains a patient handout) (pdf)