Can Antibiotic Prophylaxis Prior to Surgical Removal of Teeth reduce the Incidence of Post-operative Infections?

Introduction: Despite the ongoing debate with regards to the use of antibiotic prophylaxis during surgical extractions and whether they should be administered at all, patients attending for surgical removal of teeth may receive antibiotics before and/or after surgery. This review examined the evidence for the use of pre-operative antibiotic prophylaxis for patients undergoing surgical tooth removal. Method: A literature search was performed on PubMed and a thorough literature appraisal was undertaken of all relevant articles obtained. Results: Out of all the eleven articles retrieved in the search only two fit the inclusion criteria. Both articles concluded that there is limited evidence for the use of pre-operative antibiotics prior to the surgical removal of teeth. Conclusion: Although the clinical evidence is limited, preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis may help to reduce the incidence of post-operative infections in susceptible patients who are undergoing surgical removal of teeth. However, further research is necessary in this field.