Current Concepts in Prophylactic Antibiotics in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Antibiotic prophylaxis is the use of antibiotics in the perioperative period to prevent surgical site infections from local flora. Specific guidelines and criteria exist to prevent these infections while also practicing antimicrobial stewardship. Most dentoalveolar procedures do not require antibiotic prophylaxis. For nondentoalveolar procedures, the decision to provide antibiotic prophylaxis is based on involvement of the respiratory, oral, or pharyngeal mucosa. Special considerations exist for patients at high risk for infective endocarditis, patients with head and neck cancer, and temporomandibular joint replacement procedures. This article discusses indications for antibiotic prophylaxis during oral and maxillofacial surgical procedures.