A review of liver transplantation for the dentist and guidelines for dental management.

The number of recipients of liver transplants has grown rapidly in the last few years and is likely to continue to do so in the future. The dentist should be prepared to see individuals who are contemplating or have had liver transplants. The major goal of dental intervention, before and after liver transplantation, is the prevention of bacteremia from an oral source that could lead to systemic infection. In addition, pre-transplant medical conditions of concern to the dentist include poor drug metabolism, bleeding disorders, poor wound healing, and an inability to metabolize swallowed blood. Post-transplant dental treatment must take into consideration immunosuppressive drugs and the potential for infections. Dental treatment should include a thorough dental examination, elimination of dental problems that could cause medical problems, and an intensive preventive dentistry program to minimize the occurrence of dental disease.