There are lots of reasons that people have routinely been given antibiotics before having dental work. Over the years the guidelines for antibiotic use have changed and recently The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American Dental Association came out with new guidelines for patients who have had joint replacement.

Joint replacement is pretty common. In 2010 there were more than 302,000 hip replacements and 658,000 knee replacements. Dr. David Jevsevar chaired the committee that reviewed the data about joint replacement patients and antibiotic use, “It has been long debated that patients with orthopaedic implants, primarily hip and knee replacements, are prone to implant infections from routine dental procedures.” He continued “What we found in this analysis is that there is no conclusive evidence that demonstrates a need to routinely administer antibiotics to patients with an orthopaedic implant, who undergo dental procedures.”

Does this mean that if you have always gotten prophylactic antibiotics before dental work that you won’t in the future – it depends. This decision needs to be discussed with your dentist and your physician so please don’t make this decision on your own!

When you contact Rothfus Family Dental in Medford, OR at 541-858-7994 to schedule your appointment please let us know about any changes to your health status or current medications.