Dental Work After Joint Replacement
Your health during and after surgery is important to us. Following joint replacement, you may need to follow some special instructions before having dental work.
This information is provided by experts at the American Dental Association and American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
If you have any questions or concerns about potential dental work after joint replacement, please let us know.
Preventive Antibiotics
You need preventive antibiotics before dental procedures if:
- You had a joint replacement less than two years ago;
- You have an inflammatory type of arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis or systemic lupus erythematosis;
- Your immune system has been weakened by disease, drugs or radiation;
- You have insulin-dependent (type 1) diabetes.
You don't need preventive antibiotics if your joint replacement occurred more than two years ago and you do not suffer from one of the above conditions.
Types of Dental Procedures that May Need Preventive Antibiotics
Procedures that may require preventive antibiotics include:
- Dental extractions;
- Periodontal (gum disease) procedures;
- Dental implant placement and reimplantation of teeth that were knocked out;
- Endodontic (root canal) instrumentation or surgery;
- Initial placement of orthodontic bands (not brackets);
- Injection of a local anesthetic into the gums near the jaw; and
- Regular cleaning of teeth or implants where bleeding is anticipated.
Suggested Antibiotics
If you can take oral medication and are not allergic to penicillin, you should take two grams of amoxicillin, cephalexin or cephradine one hour before your procedure.
If you are allergic to penicillin, you should take 600 mg. of clindamycin one hour before your procedure.
These medications can be prescribed by your primary care provider, orthopaedic surgeon or dentist.
