According to independent research published in Circulation, an American Heart Association journal, The incidence of infective endocarditis among dental patients in Olmsted County, Minn. did not increase after new guidelines called for giving preventive antibiotics before dental procedures only to those at greatest risk of complications.

In 2007, the American Heart Association changed its guidelines, recommending patients take antibiotics before invasive dental procedures only if they are at risk of complications from ineffective endocarditis. This includes patients with artificial heart valves, transplanted hearts with abnormal heart valve function, previous ineffective endocarditis and people born with specific heart defects.