Antibiotic use in dentistry of bacteria from advanced caries. The first line of treatment is the removal of the source of inflammation or infection by local operative measures. Generally, the abscess can be eradicated through surgical drainage alone; however this is sometimes inadequate. Therefore, systemic antibiotic treatment may be required, but only if there is evidence of spreading infection. As the bacteria involved are known, antibiotic therapy selection can be specific, based on published susceptibilities. Penicillin in the form of amoxicillin is the most common antibiotic to use. However, 3% of the patient population is allergic to penicillin, so erythromycin is often used in
Dental antibiotic prophylaxis Dental antibiotic prophylaxis Dental antibiotic prophylaxis is the administration of antibiotics to a dental patient for prevention of harmful consequences of bacteremia, that may be caused by invasion of the oral flora into an injured gingival or peri-apical vessel during dental treatment. This issue remains a subject under constant revision, with the intention of providing recommendations based on sound scientific evidence. Currently, there are official guidelines for dental antibiotic prophylaxis for the prevention of infective endocarditis and of infection of prosthetic joint. These guidelines are in constant controversy and revisions by various professional committees. In addition, there are various medical