Antibiotic use in dentistry Antibiotic use in dentistry There are many circumstances during dental treatment where antibiotics are prescribed by dentists to prevent further infection (e.g. post-operative infection). The most common antibiotic prescribed by dental practitioners is penicillin in the form of amoxicillin, however many patients are hypersensitive to this particular antibiotic. Therefore, in the cases of allergies, erythromycin is used instead. Bacteraemia is a condition in which bacteria are present in the blood and may cause disease, including systemic disease such as infective endocarditis. Some dental treatments may cause bacteraemia, such as tooth extractions, subgingival scaling or even simple aggressive tooth brushing by
Antibiotic synergy level, the boosted antimicrobial potency provided by synergy allows the body to more rapidly clear infections, resulting in shorter courses of antibiotic therapy. Shorter courses of therapy in turn reduce the effects of dose-related toxicity, if applicable. Additionally, synergy aids in total bacterial eradication, more completely removing an infection than would be possible without synergy. At a higher level, synergistic effects are useful for combating resistant bacterial strains through increased potency and for stalling the spread of bacterial resistance through the total eradication of infections, preventing the evolutionary selection of resistant cells and strains. Current research on antibiotic synergy and