Antibiotic Prophylaxis – Why you may need to have it before dental treatment

We all have bacteria within our mouths and some dental treatments, as well as daily functions like chewing and brushing our teeth allow that bacteria to get into our blood stream. In most healthy people this is fine, however in some specific cases patients may need to take antibiotics prior to having dental treatment to minimise the risk of infections.

Antibiotic prophylaxis is simply taking antibiotics prescribed for you before undertaking some dental procedures such as teeth cleaning, tooth extractions, root canals, and deep cleaning between the tooth root and gums. Current guidelines recommend taking a specific dosage of antibiotics an hour prior to the dental procedure.

Recommendations for antibiotic prophylaxis generally exist for certain groups of patients, including:

• Those with heart conditions that may put them at risk of infective endocarditis, such as prosthetic heart valves and congenital heart defects.
• Those who have had prosthetic joints and may be at risk for developing infections at the site.
• Some specific situations where patients are immunologically compromised or are very prone to infections.

If you think you may need antibiotics before dental treatment it is best to consult with your managing medical specialist and dentist.

– Dr Mary Hatem

Next week: The many ways to connect to Seymour Dental