Antibiotic Therapy in Dentistry

Dental caries, pulpal necrosis, trauma, and periodontal diseases can result in dental infections which could have severe consequences that affect both soft and hard tissues of the oral cavity. Dental infections commonly present with symptoms of pain, fever, and swelling. Surgical and endodontic treatments are the early management of infected teeth, followed by antibiotic therapy. Some alternative methods also exist for treating infection such as low-level laser therapy and photodynamic therapy. Antibiotics are generally used in dental procedures to treat odontogenic infections, nonodontogenic infections, local infection, focal infection, and prophylaxis. Antibiotic prophylaxis is prescribed for patients with immunosuppressed conditions, infective endocarditis, metabolic disorders, and patients with prosthetic joints. To reduce the complications of unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions especially bacterial resistance, comprehensive guidelines should be established. It has been noted that only about 12% of dentists adequately and correctly prescribe antibiotics, which shows the importance of comprehensive guidelines. Antibiotics prescription may result in some adverse effects such as hypersensitivity reactions and dermatological and allergic disorders. Furthermore, unnecessary prescription of antibiotics could result in several serious sequelae, for example, bacterial resistance, gastric and hematological problems, and diversion of bacterial microbiota. The present review attempts to summarize the indications of antibiotic therapy in dentistry and discuss the common types of antibiotics that are routinely used in dental practice based on pharmacologic classes. Moreover, types of antibiotics that are considered safe during pregnancy and childhood are also reviewed.