Antibiotic prophylaxis: reasoned choice and not casual use.

Currently, the scientific world’s position is clear as far as distant site infections are concerned, involving mainly the endocardium but also prosthetic joints, indwelling venous catheters and cardiovascular implantable electronic devices, with a dramatic reduction of the number of subjects in which antibiotic prophylaxis is considered to be necessary. The situation is very different with regard to the antibiotic prophylaxis of surgical site infections since in most oral procedures there are no guidelines or recommendations concerning the use, or not, of antibiotics provided by associations of oral and maxillofacial surgeons worldwide.