To Pre Med or Not to Pre Med...That is the Question?

Here is a great article and study about the current debate about having patients take Antibiotics for dental procedures who have has prosthetic joint replacements. In our office we send a medical clearance to the patient orthopedist who will then advise us of their protocol. Most often it is within the first 6mth-1 year after placement, but every so often we will have a Dr who prescribes it for life. This is usually a patient-by-patient basis, pending risk factors. If you have any questions, you should ask your doctor. Here is a small excerpt from the article along with a link to the full article below.

"Since 2015, the ADA has not recommended Antibiotic Premedication prior to dental procedures for patients with prosthetic joints. A recent cohort study was performed between May 2018 and June 2021 to determine if there is an association between invasive dental procedures (IDP) and late prosthetic joint infection (LPJI). The study used a population in England where Antibiotic Premedication is not recommended prior to IDP for patients with prosthetic joints and therefore the association would be fully exposed. It was concluded that there was no evidence of an association between IDP and LPJI, confirming there is no rationale for administering AP before IDP in patients with prosthetic joints."

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2788219

As always you should contact your doctor for their referral as they will dictate your protocol for antibiotics and how long you will need to be on them for. Each paitent is case by case based on severity of surgery, and any complications post surgery is any.