What antibiotic is recommended for infective endocarditis prophylaxis during dental procedures?

The recommended antibiotic for prophylaxis against infective endocarditis during dental procedures is amoxicillin. This antibiotic is effective in preventing bacterial endocarditis in patients who are at risk due to pre-existing heart conditions. The Infective Endocarditis Prophylaxis guidelines emphasize that amoxicillin is the first-choice medication because it has a good safety profile, is well absorbed orally, and has excellent effectiveness against the bacteria most commonly implicated in infective endocarditis, particularly Streptococcus viridans and Enterococcus species.

For patients who are allergic to penicillin, alternatives like clindamycin or azithromycin may be recommended instead, but for most patients, amoxicillin is the preferred agent due to its convenience and broad spectrum of activity. Therefore, when assessing prophylactic regimens, amoxicillin's clinical effectiveness and established guidelines solidify its role as the standard choice for dental procedures that might pose a risk for bacterial entry into the bloodstream, thus leading to infective endocarditis.