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 potential therapies is moving in three primary directions. Some research is devoted to finding combinations of extant antibiotics which when combined exhibit synergy. A classic example of this effect is the interaction between β-lactams, which damage the bacteria cell membrane, and aminoglycosides, which inhibit protein synthesis. The damage dealt to the cell wall by β-lactams allows more aminoglycoside molecules to be taken up into the cell than would otherwise be possible, enhancing cell damage. In some cases, antibacterial combinations restore potency to ineffective drugs. Other research has been devoted to finding antibiotic resistance breakers (ARB's) which enhance an antibiotic's potency.