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
Dental antibiotic prophylaxis conditions for which clinicians recommended antibiotic prophylaxis, although there is no evidence to support this practice. These conditions include renal dialysis shunt, cerebrospinal fluid shunt, vascular graft, immunosuppression secondary to cancer and cancer chemotherapy, systemic lupus erythematosus, and type 1 diabetes mellitus. It is of importance to dental patients and practitioners to remain current with regards to the latest recommendations rendered by professional governing bodies such as the American Dental Association (ADA), American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Association of Orthopaedic surgeons (AAOS). Antibiotic prophylaxis is intended to avoid adverse outcomes in certain patients at "highest risk of postoperative