Antibiotics

14 March 2014

Antibiotics

Antibiotics are one of the most importance discoveries in medicine. In fact its use is the reason why there is a significant drop in mortality among humans since its application in the field of medicine. Antibiotics play a crucial role in dental medicine. It is used to prevent infection and ensure that complications do not happen after routine dental procedures like tooth extraction. The most common antibiotics in dentistry are penicillin and amoxicillin. However there are antibiotics specially suited for different kinds of dental cases. This article will list some of these commonly used anti bacterial medications commonly used in the field of dentistry and orthodontics.

Antibiotics in dental medicine make sure that bacteria that are found in the mouth will not penetrate through open wounds in the gums and other soft tissues. When bacteria are not stopped from going through the bloodstream these can settle in defective heart valves which can later cause severe and sometimes fatal infections. Antibiotics for dental applications can be administered orally, intravenously, or intramuscularly. Antibiotics are given before major dental procedures and immediately after the same procedure. Doses must be closely supervised by a dentist and its administration carefully controlled with only a few doses in one day.

There are many people who have allergic reactions to antibiotics such as penicillin and amoxicillin. In these cases erythromycin is used as a viable substitute. Benzamycin, Ery, Staticin, and Ilotycin are only some of the examples of brand names for erythromycin. It is best to tell your dentist that you are allergic to some antibiotics to steer clear from unpleasant side effects.

Dental abscesses that commonly occur in the soft and bone tissues in the mouth can best be addressed with antibiotics that are made to fight off anaerobic bacteria. Clindamycin or commonly known under the name Cleocin HCL is a good example of this kind of anti bacterial drug. If you are suffering from gingivitis the best antibiotic to take is Chlorhexidine (PerioChip, Peridex). These drugs can effectively control plaque in spaces between teeth and in minute gaps between the teeth and gums. Plaque can exacerbate gingivitis which can ultimately lead to teeth loss. Chlorhexidine comes in the form of a chip and is used to help fill in the gap between teeth of adults suffering from periodontitis. This drug can also be used as a rinse to control the microbes in the mouth between visits to the dentist’s office. Periodontal disease can also be helped by Tetracyclines like Atridox. Tetracyclines however can cause discoloration of teeth which is manifested by a yellowish or brownish stain especially when these types of antibiotics are used during the tooth development phase.

A potent Antibiotic is a drug people cannot live without especially in dental medicine. The mouth is host to a lot of bacteria that the smallest wound can lead to infection. Antibiotics allow dental health professionals to do what needs to be done to gum and teeth problems without worrying about infection and other related complications.