Antibiotics with bone graft, bone wrap and implant?

[MountainMama]

I have my surgery next week, where I will be getting my front tooth extracted, a bone wrap, bone grafting, and an implant put in. I will also get an implant on my lower molar that was extracted four months ago.

My oral surgeon has never prescribed antibiotics for bone grafting or implants, so should I ask for them if he doesn't prescribe them? I really would rather not take them, but everything I read says you should have them with bone grafting and implants. I wanted to know your opinions on this.

I am writing out a list of questions to give him when I get there. I will be too anxious to ask once I am in the room, plus they start me on nitrous before I even see the surgeon. I won't be able to ask afterwards with my mouth numb and full of gauze.

 

[drhirst]

Hi MountainMama,
As far as I am aware there is no research to prove the value of antibiotics. Sometimes they are prescribed beforehand, sometimes after, before and after and sometimes they are mixed in with the graft material.
They were used with the early days of grafts and since then many dentists are too scared not to use them. There is an undercurrent of feeling that they are not really needed in most cases.
Ask you surgeon, maybe he will be mixing it with the graft and prescribing afterwards, or maybe, he finds that in his hands they are not needed and his has had very few problems over the years.

 

[MountainMama]

Hi MountainMama,
As far as I am aware there is no research to prove the value of antibiotics. Sometimes they are prescribed beforehand, sometimes after, before and after and sometimes they are mixed in with the graft material.
They were used with the early days of grafts and since then many dentists are too scared not to use them. There is an undercurrent of feeling that they are not really needed in most cases.
Ask you surgeon, maybe he will be mixing it with the graft and prescribing afterwards, or maybe, he finds that in his hands they are not needed and his has had very few problems over the years.

Thank you! I will write that question down, as I had no idea that they were mixed in with the graft sometimes. I will also ask what his experience has been with or without antibiotics. That is good to know that they are not necessarily "needed" as the norm. I would much prefer not having them, but if they are mixed in, that would be fine.
Thank you for your time in answering my question.

 

[MountainMama]

I did get a script for antibiotics. There was still infection present and he said that with the scope of the procedure, he would recommend amoxicillin for 7 days. He doesn't use the grafting with antibiotics built in, and avoids prescribing them whenever possible.