Use of Antibiotics After Dental Implant

There has been numerous research papers written on this topic with no strict answer.  Most surgeons, including myself prescribe an antibiotic for a week after implant placement.  The theory is that the implant is a foreign body and is easily colonated by oral bacteria. This can lead to implant failure or infection of the implanted device.  Since research has not provred this to a certainty, some surgeons choose not to place patients on antibiotics.  An antibiotic mouthwash is also often employed. I use both in my practice.

Although no strict protocol for antibiotic use has been established within the field of implant dentistry, one must understand that placement of a dental implant involves instituting a foreign body within the human body.  Titanium metal (which dental implants are made of) is biologically inert and will not be rejected by the human body.  However, bacteria that may be on the implant surface prior to placement in your mouth can elicit a foreign body response, leading to inflammation, encapsulation with scar tissue and ultimately, failure. 

How can bacteria get on a dental implant before being placed, you may ask?  During implantation, the dental implant fixture (which is sterile) comes into contact with fluids within the oral cavity (which are not sterile); bacteria in the mouth latch onto the implant surface and are then transferred into the implant site.  Usually, the body can take care of a few microbes without antibiotics, but if left to propagate, the bacteria will colonize the implant surface and prevent a normal healing response which will ultimately allow bone to grow onto your dental implant. 

For my own patients, I recommend antibiotics before and immediately after implant placement.  I am even more emphatic about this if a bone graft with membrane was completed, since membranes can harbor a significant amount of bacteria during the first few hours/days following implant placement. 

Follow your doctor's advice and consult with him/her regarding the use of an antibiotic.  There are alternatives out there if you have an allergy or if you cannot tolerate a specific type of antibiotic.  Good luck!