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We’ve all had it happen. Patients who have been away for a while finally make an appointment, and their mouth is a mess. They have multiple teeth in need of restoration, periodontal disease has ravaged their gums, their health is in danger, and their smile and self-esteem are in tatters.

The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine may reduce the rate of oral HPV infections in young adults by as much as 88%, reports the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. But the vaccine’s low rate of usage in the United States, especially among males, has left it with little impact on the actual rate of oral HPV infections.

Dentists and oral surgeons are in good compliance with guidelines issued by the American Heart Association (AHA) in 2007 for prophylactic antibiotic use prior to invasive dental procedures, reports the Rochester Epidemiology Project, a collaboration of medical and dental care providers in Minnesota and Wisconsin who link medical, dental, and surgical procedures with prescriptions and other healthcare data with patient agreement for medical research.