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Endocarditis prophylaxis
L E T T E R S
TO
THE
E D IT O R
JADA devotes this section to comm ent by readers on topics of current interest to dentistry. T he editor reserves the right to edit all com m unications to fit available space and requires that all letters be typed, double-spaced, and signed. No more than ten references should be given with each letter. Printed com m u nications do not necessarily reflect the opinion or official policy of the Association. Your participation in this section is invited.
the steps being taken to make The Jour nal current with the changes that are occurring in the profession. The special issue addressed several topics that are par ticularly im portant to the general dentist and clinical practice. T he caliber of the authors is outstanding and I’d like to see more of this type of article in the future. JACQUELINE DZIERZAK, DMD CHICAGO
□ Congratulations on a well-published issue! Esthetic dentistry
JO H N T. SULLIVAN, DDS BELLEVUE, NE
□ Please accept my congratulations on the innovative leadership in publishing the special issue on Esthetic Dentistry. It is bold educational material such as this that our profession needs to prepare for 21st century state-of-the-art dentistry. Particularly pleasing was the article by Dr. J. Michael Dierkes on the “beauty of the face,” as dental professionals, general dentists, and orthodontists m ust be made aware, for the welfare of their patients, of the importance of oral and maxillofacial surgery’s role in the collaborative treat ment of this most precious aspect of the hum an persona—the face. . . . EUGENE FRIEDMAN. DDS SUNY SCHOOL OF DENTAL MEDICINE STONY BROOK, NY
□ It was a distinct pleasure to be part of this publication and it is, indeed, a land mark focusing on a subject that is decid edly timely and im portant. I recognize the effort the staff addressed to the issue and I congratulate you on a job well done. R. W. PHILLIPS INDIANA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY INDIANAPOLIS
□ My thanks go to Dr. Frank Faunce, The Journal staff, and all those who pro duced the special issue. It is the best Christmas gift I could receive. I am cer tain that it will be known as a “classic.” JAMES W. BAYLEY, DDS LAFAYETTE, IN
□ I want to express my appreciation at 154 ■ JADA, Vol. 116, February 1988
ing in peaks as late as 5 hours after inges tion is also noted w ith enteric-coated tablets. Food may reduce the absorption of erythromycin stearate. Physicians and dentists choosing to use an erythromycin preparation other than the ethylsuccinate should familiarize them selves w ith the particular preparations they prescribe and time the dose appro priately. T he principal consideration is to assure the highest antibiotic concentration during and immediately after any proce dure that may lead to bacteremia. Further attention to this issue will be given in a revision of the recommendations. ADNAN S. DAJANI, MD CHAIRPERSON
D ental advertising
Endocarditis prophylaxis □ T he Committee on Rheumatic Fever, E n d o c a rd itis, and K aw asaki Disease, Council on Cardiovascular Disease in the Young, of the American Heart Associa tion published recommendations on “Pre v en tio n of bacterial e n d o c ard itis” in December 1984 (Circulation 70(6):1123A1127A). It has been brought to the com m ittee’s attention that the recommenda tion for the use of erythromycin in peni cillin-allergic individuals for endocarditis prophylaxis after dental or respiratory tract procedures does not address phar macokinetic differences between the var io u s o ral erythrom ycin prep aratio n s. Whereas erythromycin ethylsuccinate (the preparation on which our current recom m endation was based) results in a peak blood level w ithin 0.5 to 2.5 hours, the base, stearate, and estolate preparations do not provide peaks until 2 to 4 hours after ingestion. Delayed absorption result
□ Since the Supreme Court and the Fed eral Trade Commission rulings that re moved our profession’s ability to restrict the advertising of its members, the news papers, sh o p p in g guides, and Yellow Pages are filled with advertisements that run the gam ut of decorum. I would like to begin a com pilation of the more notable advertisements from around the country. If any of you spot advertisements that you think may be w orthy of note, w ould you be kind enough to send them to me along with your comments. T hank you. DONALD J. CONLON 1041 A RTH U R ST IOWA CITY, IA 52240
Sodium absorption □ An article by Drs. Steven B. Kaminsky, W illiam B. Gillette, and T im othy J. O ’Leary on “Sodium absorption associ ated with oral hygiene procedures (May 1987)” dealt with the oral use of sodiumcontaining agents that may be of clinical significance in people on no- or low-salt diets. JADA readers might be interested to hear that a clinical study has been per formed in hum ans and the results have been published. T he authors—Theodore W. Kurtz, H am oudi A. Al-Bander, and R.
TO
THE
E D IT O R
JADA devotes this section to comm ent by readers on topics of current interest to dentistry. T he editor reserves the right to edit all com m unications to fit available space and requires that all letters be typed, double-spaced, and signed. No more than ten references should be given with each letter. Printed com m u nications do not necessarily reflect the opinion or official policy of the Association. Your participation in this section is invited.
the steps being taken to make The Jour nal current with the changes that are occurring in the profession. The special issue addressed several topics that are par ticularly im portant to the general dentist and clinical practice. T he caliber of the authors is outstanding and I’d like to see more of this type of article in the future. JACQUELINE DZIERZAK, DMD CHICAGO
□ Congratulations on a well-published issue! Esthetic dentistry
JO H N T. SULLIVAN, DDS BELLEVUE, NE
□ Please accept my congratulations on the innovative leadership in publishing the special issue on Esthetic Dentistry. It is bold educational material such as this that our profession needs to prepare for 21st century state-of-the-art dentistry. Particularly pleasing was the article by Dr. J. Michael Dierkes on the “beauty of the face,” as dental professionals, general dentists, and orthodontists m ust be made aware, for the welfare of their patients, of the importance of oral and maxillofacial surgery’s role in the collaborative treat ment of this most precious aspect of the hum an persona—the face. . . . EUGENE FRIEDMAN. DDS SUNY SCHOOL OF DENTAL MEDICINE STONY BROOK, NY
□ It was a distinct pleasure to be part of this publication and it is, indeed, a land mark focusing on a subject that is decid edly timely and im portant. I recognize the effort the staff addressed to the issue and I congratulate you on a job well done. R. W. PHILLIPS INDIANA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY INDIANAPOLIS
□ My thanks go to Dr. Frank Faunce, The Journal staff, and all those who pro duced the special issue. It is the best Christmas gift I could receive. I am cer tain that it will be known as a “classic.” JAMES W. BAYLEY, DDS LAFAYETTE, IN
□ I want to express my appreciation at 154 ■ JADA, Vol. 116, February 1988
ing in peaks as late as 5 hours after inges tion is also noted w ith enteric-coated tablets. Food may reduce the absorption of erythromycin stearate. Physicians and dentists choosing to use an erythromycin preparation other than the ethylsuccinate should familiarize them selves w ith the particular preparations they prescribe and time the dose appro priately. T he principal consideration is to assure the highest antibiotic concentration during and immediately after any proce dure that may lead to bacteremia. Further attention to this issue will be given in a revision of the recommendations. ADNAN S. DAJANI, MD CHAIRPERSON
D ental advertising
Endocarditis prophylaxis □ T he Committee on Rheumatic Fever, E n d o c a rd itis, and K aw asaki Disease, Council on Cardiovascular Disease in the Young, of the American Heart Associa tion published recommendations on “Pre v en tio n of bacterial e n d o c ard itis” in December 1984 (Circulation 70(6):1123A1127A). It has been brought to the com m ittee’s attention that the recommenda tion for the use of erythromycin in peni cillin-allergic individuals for endocarditis prophylaxis after dental or respiratory tract procedures does not address phar macokinetic differences between the var io u s o ral erythrom ycin prep aratio n s. Whereas erythromycin ethylsuccinate (the preparation on which our current recom m endation was based) results in a peak blood level w ithin 0.5 to 2.5 hours, the base, stearate, and estolate preparations do not provide peaks until 2 to 4 hours after ingestion. Delayed absorption result
□ Since the Supreme Court and the Fed eral Trade Commission rulings that re moved our profession’s ability to restrict the advertising of its members, the news papers, sh o p p in g guides, and Yellow Pages are filled with advertisements that run the gam ut of decorum. I would like to begin a com pilation of the more notable advertisements from around the country. If any of you spot advertisements that you think may be w orthy of note, w ould you be kind enough to send them to me along with your comments. T hank you. DONALD J. CONLON 1041 A RTH U R ST IOWA CITY, IA 52240
Sodium absorption □ An article by Drs. Steven B. Kaminsky, W illiam B. Gillette, and T im othy J. O ’Leary on “Sodium absorption associ ated with oral hygiene procedures (May 1987)” dealt with the oral use of sodiumcontaining agents that may be of clinical significance in people on no- or low-salt diets. JADA readers might be interested to hear that a clinical study has been per formed in hum ans and the results have been published. T he authors—Theodore W. Kurtz, H am oudi A. Al-Bander, and R.