LiveJournal Tags: Dr. Jerry Teplitz,antibiotics,dental procedures,side effects,antibiotic resitance,endocarditis,artificial heart valves,dentist
According to the American Medical Association, there is no proof that antibiotics taken before common dental procedures, including extractions, prevent heart infections by preventing bacteria from getting into the bloodstream.
Instead, the risks of side effects from the drugs and from your developing antibiotic resistance outweigh the benefits.
The only exceptions are for people who have already had heart infections (called endocarditis), have artificial heart valves, or other serious heart-related health problems.
So…if your dentist offers drugs (the antibiotic kind) and you don’t have any of those problems, say thank you, but no thank you.