Reducing Risk for Infective Endocarditis
Eligible age
18+ yrs
Accepts
All genders
Locations
5 states
Healthy volunteers
Yes
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About this study
This clinical trial is studying if bacteria found in a participant's bloodstream after brushing their teeth can be prevented with a dental cleaning and more education on how to best brush and care for their teeth. One group of participants will have a dental cleaning and oral health instructions and the other group of participants will not. Researchers will compare the blood test results from the two groups to see if the education made a difference in preventing bacteria and how long it stays in the bloodstream.
Sponsor: Wake Forest University Health Sciences
You may qualify if…
- ✓ Age 18 years or older.
- ✓ Greater than 6 months since last dental hygiene prophylaxis (cleaning).
- ✓ 10 or more accessible teeth (including implants, with a minimum of 8 natural teeth).
- ✓ Willing and able to provide informed consent.
- ✓ Willing to comply with all study procedures and be available for the duration of the study.
- ✓ Willing to forgo routine professional dental cleanings while enrolled in the trial.
You may not qualify if…
- ✕ At high risk for IE, as defined by the 2007/2021 AHA Guidelines:
- ✕ Prosthetic cardiac valve or prosthetic material used for cardiac valve repair.
- ✕ Previous episode of IE.
- ✕ Cardiac transplantation recipient with cardiac valvulopathy.
- ✕ Specific congenital heart disease conditions.
- ✕ Pregnant, by self-report, or planning to become pregnant during the study period.
- ✕ Affected by a condition that, in the opinion of the investigator, may preclude them from study completion or put them at increased risk such as :
- ✕ Hemodialysis dependent.
Where it's recruiting
Boston
Ann Arbor
Newark
New York · Rochester
Charlotte
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT05721781 · last updated 2026-07-24