Joint arthroplasty, dental treatment, and antibiotics: a review.

Many patients with artificial joints seek guidance from their dental and orthopaedic surgeons on whether they should take prophylactic antibiotics for routine dental treatment. Advice on this has been conflicting in the past, and other than a joint statement from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American Dental Association, there has been little official guidance. In view of the lack of consensus, we have reviewed the relevant literature and have concluded that antibiotic prophylaxis should not be routinely given to all patients undergoing dental treatment but should be reserved for those patients deemed at high risk.