Your Dentist in Wayland Explains Antibiotic Prophylaxis

Have you recently undergone surgery but also need dental treatments performed? Do you have an ongoing condition that compromises your immune system? If so, you probably heard your dentist in Wayland talk about antibiotic prophylaxis. If you haven’t, you’ll want to keep reading.

Your dentist always does his best to ensure your treatments go as smoothly as possible, regardless of any conditions you may have. While it’s not needed particularly often, it’s very important that he takes precautions when necessary. Today, we’ll learn what this process is and who can benefit most from it prior to dental treatments.

What is Antibiotic Prophylaxis?

Antibiotic prophylaxis is the practice of using antibiotics prior to a surgery in order to prevent bacterial infections. In the past, this process was used quite often, however that has changed as people started becoming more resistant to antibiotics.

While antibiotic prophylaxis is used prior to any surgery, it’s also commonly used in dentistry as well. When you visit your dentist, they’ll most likely prescribe amoxicillin or ampicillin, which are two common antibiotics.

Why Would I Need It?

Antibiotics are typically given to patients who are at higher risk of developing an infection after a dental procedure. If you have any of the following conditions or issues, you’ll definitely want to tell your dentist so they can give you the prescriptions needed to avoid complications. They include:

• Compromised immune systems
• Artificial heart valves
• A history of infection in the heart valves or lining of the heart, also known as endocarditis
• Heart transplants that lead to issues with one of your heart valves
• Other serious congenital heart conditions

According to the American Heart Association, dentists should only provide short-term preventive antibiotics if you are at high risk of a negative outcome from these conditions. The American Dental Association recently changed its guidelines for patients who previously had to take antibiotics, but now no longer need to. Doing so can actually cause allergic reactions or make patients resistant to antibiotics. If you have the following, you should not need to take antibiotics prior to dental treatments. They include:

• Mitral valve prolapse
• Bicuspid valve disease
• Calcified aortic stenosis
• Rheumatic heart disease
• Ventricular septal defect, atrial septal defect, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

How Is the Drug Given?

The method in which you receive antibiotics can vary depending on which treatment you receive. However, dentists mainly prescribe antibiotics through pills taken orally. If you forget to take pills prior to your visit, your dentist will likely provide them to you during or after the procedure is already complete.

When it comes to avoiding infection, your dentist would much rather be safe than sorry. At the end of the day, what matters most is keeping your oral and overall health in the best condition possible. To learn more about antibiotic prophylaxis, schedule an appointment with your Wayland dentist today!

About the Author

Dr. Michael A. Putt earned his DMD degree from Tufts Dental School. After earning a Health Professions scholarship from the U.S. Army, he joined them and completed an Advanced Education in General Dentistry residency. To learn more about his practice, contact him through his website.