Dental implant surgery is a medical procedure for the replacement of a missing tooth. Under a local anesthetic, a dentist embeds a small titanium screw in the patient’s jaw and leaves it to heal, typically for between three and six months.
During this time, the titanium fuses with the surrounding bone tissue, fixing it in place. Once the implant is secure, the dentist will attach a prosthetic tooth to it.
Modern dental research has found that many species of bacteria and other microbes can find their way into our bloodstream during procedures like dental implant surgery.
Dental Procedures Can Be Dangerous
The term “bacteremia” refers to a medical condition involving the presence of disease-causing bacteria in the blood. In rare cases, these microbes can impact our health, especially for those who have artificial joints or a heart defect.
Over time, bacteria can accumulate in strategic locations in the body such as heart valves, causing damage and even death in extreme cases.
Antibiotic Treatment Eliminates This Risk
Over the years, medical experts have identified the threat — however trivial — that microbes entering the bloodstream during surgical procedures can pose to our health. They developed antibiotic therapy in response to this threat.
Antibiotic therapy eliminates dangerous microbes that might have made their way into the bloodstream during dental treatment. Successful application of antibiotic treatment reduces the chances of possible bacteremia-related complications to as low as 0 percent.
The Antibiotic Treatment Process
The treatment involves treating the target area with antibiotic chemicals ahead of surgery. Antibiotic compounds are also applied to the affected tissues during and after the successful completion of the procedure.
Antibiotic Treatment After Surgery
In addition to the initial treatment applied before and during the process, health professionals may also administer antibiotic treatments after dental implant surgery. They will most likely recommend penicillin or amoxicillin treatments, with the exception being cases where patients are allergic to these antibiotics.
In Summary
While the immune system of an average person can safely eliminate these microbes from their bloodstream, patients with certain medical conditions or undergoing specific surgical procedures can be especially prone to bacteremia and the resulting complications. These patients are priority candidates for antibiotic therapy.
There are a variety of antibiotic treatments available. However, the choice may vary from patient to patient, depending on the individual case and any allergies the patient may have, among other things.
Only a qualified dentist experienced in antibiotic therapy can determine the most appropriate form of treatment for you. If you would like to know more about the role antibiotic treatment plays in dental implant procedures, contact a reputable provider of tooth implant surgery in Birmingham, MI.
