Dental implant clinicians are confronted daily with the question, “Should antibiotic prophylaxis be provided for a given surgical case?” If antibiotic coverage is considered necessary, then when should it begin and how long should it continue? As prescribers, we do have a “global” obligation for responsible antibiotic use. The purpose of this Editorial is to provide guidance regarding these questions.
Antibiotic resistance is of considerable threat to the management of infectious diseases, because infectious disease treatment is dependent upon having effective antibiotics.1 It is well documented that there is a direct connection between antibiotic resistance and antibiotic consumption.2 Every time we prescribe antibiotic prophylaxis for a patient, we must ask: (1) What are the reasons for giving an antibiotic? (2) Why is an antibiotic necessary? (3) What is the correct timing of the antibiotic administration? (4) How long should the antibiotic be taken?
Two factors to evaluate when...
