Treatment FAQ

why pre med before dental treatment

by Daron Bauch PhD Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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If you are required to take premedication, the patient will take the antibiotic orally one hour prior to the dental appointment. The antibiotic will work to fight germs that may enter the patient's system through the gum tissue and into the blood stream during the dental procedure.

Full Answer

When is pre-medication recommended for dental procedures?

Premedication is recommended for all dental procedures that involve manipulation of gingival tissue or the periapical region of the teeth, or perforation of the oral mucosa. Additional considerations about antibiotic prophylaxis: Sometimes patients forget to pre-medicate prior to their appointments.

Why are antibiotics given pre-medication for dental procedures?

Updated guidelines for patients who have total joint replacement. Pre-medication, in this case antibiotics, are given prior to a dental/medical procedure to prevent infection. The theory is that during dental procedures, bacteria from the mouth can enter the bloodstream causing a bacteremia (bacter-bacteria, emia-in the blood-stream).

Do people with metal plates need to pre-medicate for dental treatment?

Based on what is known about the risks of infection as outlined in the discussion above, it would appear that someone with metal plates outside of a joint, such as you, does not need to pre-medicate for dental treatment.

Why do I need antibiotic premedication?

In order to prevent bacteria from living in your bloodstream and infecting certain high risk areas of your body, it is important for certain people to take antibiotics before having many dental procedures. This is known as antibiotic premedication o r antibiotic prophylaxis.

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Why would a patient need premedication before a dental treatment?

Antibiotic prophylaxis (or premedication) is simply the taking of antibiotics before some dental procedures such as teeth cleaning, tooth extractions, root canals, and deep cleaning between the tooth root and gums to prevent infection.

What is the main reason for dentists to prescribe antibiotic premedication before dental treatment?

Antibiotic prophylaxis has been used in dentistry for patients at risk of infective endocarditis or prosthetic joint infection. The scientific rationale for prophylaxis was to eliminate or reduce transient bacteraemia caused by invasive dental procedures.

Is it necessary to Premedicate for dental treatment?

The Usual Occasions for Antibiotics It's usually a necessary part of such procedures as tooth extraction, root canal therapy or deep cleaning of the gums. In other cases, antibiotics may be prescribed to prevent an infection. This type of application is referred to as premedication.

When should I take premedication for dental treatment?

They are both very serious and can lead to death. Premedication for dental treatment is recommended for all dental procedures involving manipulation of gingival tissue or the periapical region of the teeth, or perforation of the oral mucosa. This would include dental cleanings and all restorative work.

Who should take antibiotics before dental work?

Today, the AHA only recommends antibiotics before dental procedures for patients with the highest risk of infection, those who have:A prosthetic heart valve or who have had a heart valve repaired with prosthetic material.A history of endocarditis.A heart transplant with abnormal heart valve function.More items...

What dental procedures do not require antibiotic prophylaxis?

The following dental procedures do not require endocarditis prophylaxis:Routine anesthetic injections through noninfected tissue.Taking dental radiographs.Placement of removable prosthodontic or orthodontic appliances.Adjustment of orthodontic appliances.Placement of orthodontic brackets.Shedding of deciduous teeth.More items...

Does dentistry have pre med?

Students who wish to pursue the DMD program must complete a two-year pre-dentistry course and have any medical-related Bachelor's degree program. Those who aspire to become Dentists but graduated with a non-medical undergraduate program may enroll for the pre-dentistry course.

Are antibiotics necessary before a root canal?

Giving a patient antibiotics before a dental treatment is known as antibiotic prophylaxis. For patients with certain conditions, this is recommended before undergoing dental treatment that poses a risk of bacteria entering the bloodstream.

Why do I have to take antibiotics before dental work after knee replacement?

posted: Jun. 18, 2020. If you've had a total joint replacement or similar procedure, you will want your surgeon to decide if you need to take an antibiotic before you undergo dental work. This is a precaution to prevent a serious infection known as bacteremia.

Do you need to take antibiotics before dental work if you have mitral valve prolapse?

Antibiotics before dental work no longer are recommended for people with mitral valve prolapse. Your mitral valve is located between your heart's upper and lower left chambers — the left atrium and the left ventricle.

What does prophylaxis mean in dentistry?

A dental prophylaxis is a cleaning procedure performed to thoroughly clean the teeth. Prophylaxis is an important dental treatment for halting the progression of periodontal disease and gingivitis.

Why do you need to take premedication for dental?

Premedication is prescribed to help prevent any bacteria introduced from the dental procedure, from causing an infection in another part of the body , such as the heart lining, or artificial joint.

What is a pre-med?

Premedication is a medication that is administered in advance of invasive dental or medical procedures. Premedication in the dental office is usually a prescribed dose of antibiotics taken by patients with certain medical conditions before an invasive dental procedure.

Why do we prescribe antibiotics?

Patients are given premedication with the belief that antibiotics would prevent infective endocarditis (IE), previously referred to as bacterial endocarditis.

What antibiotics should a dentist use for endocarditis?

For example, if the patient is taking amoxicillin, the dentist should select clindamycin, azithromycin, or clarithromycin for prophylaxis.

What is the best way to treat gingival tissue?

Premedication is recommended for all dental procedures that involve manipulation of gingival tissue or the periapical region of the teeth, or perforation of the oral mucosa.

What is the current recommendation for premedication?

Patient selection for premedication: The current recommendations recommend the use of preventive antibiotics prior to certain dental procedures for patients with: artificial heart valves. a history of infective endocarditis. a cardiac transplant that develops a heart valve problem.

Why is it important to give antibiotics before a procedure?

The recommendation is that the antibiotic is given before the procedure. This is important because it allows the antibiotic to reach adequate blood levels.

What is dental premedication?

Dental Premedication Guidelines for Patients with Heart Problems. In 2008, the American Heart Association updated its recommendations for dental premedications. It now recommends premedication for patients with: artificial heart valves. a history of infective endocarditis, which is an infection of the lining inside the heart or heart valves.

How long do you have to wait to premedicate after joint replacement?

Then the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons recommended all patients who have had joint replacement surgery continue to premedicate beyond two years. Now, the American Dental Association and the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons are studying the clinical data to come up with a joint set of recommendations.

How long should you take antibiotics after joint replacement?

The recommendation used to be that patients take an antibiotic before dental cleanings, extractions or oral surgery for up to two years after a joint replacement surgery.

Do you need antibiotics before dental treatment?

When you fill out your medical history form at the dentist's office, you'll notice it asks if you've had any of these procedures. If you answer yes, you may need to take an antibiotic before certain types of dental treatment.

Why do we give antibiotics before dental procedures?

Pre-medication, in this case antibiotics, are given prior to a dental/medical procedure to prevent infection. The theory is that during dental procedures, bacteria from the mouth can enter the bloodstream causing a bacteremia (bacter-bacteria, emia-in the blood-stream).

What does "pre-medication" mean?

Secondly, what does pre-medication mean? Pre-medication, in this case antibiotics, are given prior to a dental/medical procedure to prevent infection. The theory is that during dental procedures, bacteria from the mouth can enter the bloodstream causing a bacteremia (bacter-bacteria, emia-in the blood-stream). This could potentially cause bone infection associated with false or replacement joints; or other metal parts like pins, plates or screws used to fix or fuse bones together.

How long should you wait to put antibiotics on an artificial joint?

This is why the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons have the guide lines of only premedicating an artificial joint for two years post-op (unless immune compromised). After that point, the antibiotics are more of a risk to the patient's health (allergic reaction) than the chance for joint infection.

Can you premedicate a heart murmur?

We have been premedicating the heart for various ailments for decades. In the past, anyone with a heart murmur received antibiotics one hour before their dental appointment. Then the American Heart Association (AHA) said mitral valve prolapse needed to be premedicated. Then it was mitral valve prolapse with regurgitation. Now the newest guidelines: (AHA, 2007)

Is antibiotic prophylaxis indicated prior to dental procedures?

Compared with previous recommendations, there are currently relatively few patient subpopulations for whom antibiotic prophylaxis may be indicated prior to certain dental procedures.

Can you take antibiotics for joint replacement?

According to the ADA Chairside Guide, for patients with a history of complications associated with their joint replacement surgery who are undergoing dental procedures that include gingival manipulation or mucosal incision, prophylactic antibiotics should only be considered after consultation with the patient and orthopedic surgeon; in cases where antibiotics are deemed necessary , it is most appropriate that the orthopedic surgeon recommend the appropriate antibiotic regimen and, when reasonable, write the prescription.

Can you give antibiotics prior to dental surgery?

With the exception of the AHA/ACC guidelines regarding prevention of infective endocarditis, 7, 8, 10 there is no general guidance or recommendation to provide antibiotics as a prophylactic measure prior to dental procedures except for specific individuals with extenuating circumstances, where the determination and prescription is made by the patient’s surgeon or other treating physician. However, there are a myriad of other conditions that either patients, physicians, or dentists may think that antibiotic prophylaxis prior to dental treatment might be warranted to prevent development of infections at remote locations by bacteria normally associated with the oral flora.

Is there a correlation between antibiotic prophylaxis and endocarditis?

In 2015, The Lancet published a study out of the United Kingdom that reported a correlation between institution of more limited antibiotic prophylaxis guidelines by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Evidence (NICE) in 2008 and an increase in cases of infective endocarditis. 13 Because of the retrospective and observational nature of the study, the authors acknowledged that their “data do not establish a causal association.” At this time, the ADA recommends that dentists continue to use the AHA/ACC guidelines discussed above. Dental professionals should periodically visit the ADA website for updates on this issue.

Do you have to premedicate for antibiotic prophylaxis?

Sometimes, patients forget to premedicate before their appointments. The recommendation is that for patients with an indication for antibiotic prophylaxis, the antibiotic be given before the procedure. This is important because it allows the antibiotic to reach adequate blood levels. However, the guidelines to prevent infective endocarditis 7, 8 state, “If the dosage of antibiotic is inadvertently not administered before the procedure, the dosage may be administered up to 2 hours after the procedure.” If a patient with an indication for prophylaxis who appropriately received antibiotic premedication prior to a dental procedure one day and who is then scheduled the following day for a dental procedure also warranting premedication (e.g., dental prophylaxis), the antibiotic prophylaxis regimen should be repeated prior to the second appointment. Because of the nature of the pharmacokinetics of an antibiotic prophylaxis regimen, a single loading dose is given in order to cover the period of potential bacteremia produced by a single procedure. 11-13

Is antibiotic prophylaxis recommended for congenital heart disease?

b Except for the conditions listed above, antibiotic prophylaxis is no longer recommended for any other form of congenital heart disease.

Is endocarditis prophylaxis premedication?

For infective endocarditis prophylaxis, American Heart Association guidelines (updated with a scientific statement in 2021) support premedication for a relatively small subset of patients. This is based on a review of scientific evidence, which showed that the risk of adverse reactions to antibiotics generally outweigh the benefits of prophylaxis for many patients who would have been considered eligible for prophylaxis in previous versions of the guidelines. Concern about the development of drug-resistant bacteria also was a factor.

What is the purpose of antibiotics in dental care?

Antibiotic prophylaxis (or premedication) is simply the taking of antibiotics before some dental procedures such as teeth cleaning, tooth extractions, root canals, and deep cleaning between the tooth root and gums to prevent infection. We all have bacteria in our mouths, and a number of dental treatments—and even daily routines like chewing, brushing or flossing—can allow bacteria to enter the bloodstream (bacteremia). For most of us, this isn’t a problem. A healthy immune system prevents these bacteria from causing any harm. There is concern, however, that bacteria in the bloodstream could cause infection elsewhere in the body.

Why is antibiotic prophylaxis important?

For example, antibiotic prophylaxis might be useful for patients undergoing dental procedures who also have compromised immune systems (due to, for instance, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, chemotherapy, and chronic steroid use), which increases the risk of orthopedic implant infection. It may also benefit others with heart conditions.

Why don't I need antibiotics?

Why Don’t I Need Antibiotic Prophylaxis? Based on careful review of the scientific literature, the ADA found that dental procedures are not associated with prosthetic joint implant infections, and that antibiotics given before dental procedures do not prevent such infections.

Do you need to go to the pharmacy for antibiotics?

If you have had a joint replacement and taken antibiotics before dental work in the past, you may not need to make a trip to the pharmacy before your next procedure.

Do you need antibiotics for implants?

The American Dental Association has found it is no longer necessary for most dental patients with orthopedic implants to have antibiotic prophylaxis to prevent infection.

Can you take antibiotics before dental implants?

For patients with prosthetic joint implants, antibiotic prophylaxis prior to dental procedures is typically not warranted and should only be considered following consultation with the patient and the orthopedic surgeon. 3

Is antimicrobial prophylaxis recommended for dental implants?

Following guidance from the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) and the American Heart Association (AHA), the ADA has established recommendations in the past for antimicrobial prophylaxis prior to dental procedures in patients with prosthetic joint implants and patients thought to be at increased risk for developing endocarditis. 1 Additionally, the ADA developed guidelines for the management of dental pain and intra-oral swelling that largely recommended against the use of antibiotics for the treatment of infections without systemic involvement, favoring dental intervention in immunocompetent patients. 2

Can you use prophylactic antibiotics before dental surgery?

For other patient populations, the ADA cites that there is no general guidance to promote the use of prophylactic antibiotics prior to a dental procedure except for individuals with extenuating circumstances, and where the prescription is written by the patient’s surgeon or treating physician. 3

Do you take antibiotics before dental surgery?

At times physicians and dentists recommend that a patient take antibiotics before certain dental procedures. This is called “antibiotic prophylaxis.”. But why do healthcare providers suggest this extra step?

Do you need antibiotics for artificial joints?

Learn more about why the ADA and American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons updated the recommendations and no longer recommend antibiotics for everyone with artificial joints.

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