What dentists need to know about new guidelines for the management of patients with prosthetic joints

Recently the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) and American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS) released a Clinical Practice Guideline, “The prevention of total hip and knee arthroplasty periprosthetic joint infection in patients undergoing dental procedures” (The AAOS/AAHKS Guideline).1 The scope of the guideline included (i) antibiotic prophylaxis (AP) use before dental procedures; (ii) dental screening prior to hip and knee arthroplasty; (iii) use of an oral antiseptic rinse before dental procedures; (iv) the timing of arthroplasty surgery following any dental procedures, and (v) the timing of any dental procedures following total joint arthroplasty. This guidance is therefore highly pertinent to dentists, but many may be unaware of these new recommendations. We therefore summarize and comment on them below.