Pressure from the charity Heart Research UK has helped bring about a change in advice to dentists about giving antibiotics to heart patients undergoing dental treatment. The victory comes after research, funded by the charity and healthcare provider Simplyhealth, showed that there had been an increase in cases of infective endocarditis since the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommended in 2008 that at-risk heart patients should no longer receive antibiotic cover during dental treatment.
Following research, conducted by Professor Martin Thornhill of the University of Sheffield’s School of Clinical Dentistry, NICE decided not to change its recommendation, despite dentists in the USA and Europe routinely giving antibiotic cover to high-risk heart patients, which includes those with artificial or repaired heart valves. Now, after pressure from the charity, Professor Thornhill and colleagues, patients and a local MP, NICE has had a change of heart and altered the guideline.
The NICE recommendation has now been changed to say that dentists should not “routinely” give antibiotics to patients at risk of infective endocarditis during dental procedures. The new ruling allows flexibility so that dentists and cardiologists can recommend antibiotic cover when it is in the best interests of the patient.
Heart Research UK National Director Barbara Harpham welcomed the change. “This is great news for patients and the money for this research was very well spent for our charity. Patients at risk now have a choice and, after talking to their dentist, can make an informed decision about their treatment.”