I am planning on getting dental implants. I’ve had two consultations and received conflicting appointments for both. I’ve had a hip replacement in the past. One dentist said I would need to be pre-medicated with antibiotics because of that. Another said, that is completely unnecessary. Who’s right?
Mandy
Dear Mandy,
If you went to two more dentists you would probably face the same issue again. This is a controversial issue. In the past, the American Dental Association (ADA) along with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons recommended patients with previous hip replacements get pre-treated with antibiotics.
The reason for this is they felt any bacteria could get introduced into the bloodstream and infect the hip causing severe problems.
This is no longer the recommendation but some dentists feel more comfortable with it. Whichever you are more comfortable with is fine.
What’s Important in an Implant Dentist
When choosing a dentist to do your dental implants, there is a much more important factor than whether or not they want you to pre-medicate with antibiotics. You want to know about their dental implant training and experience.
I want you to look at Dr. Pumphrey’s dental implant credentials to get an idea of what you’re looking for in training. It’s also important to ask about their experience and success rate. You want to make sure they do a great deal of implant procedures and have at least a 98% success rate.
Benefits of Dental Implants
- It’s like having healthy, natural teeth again
- You can eat what you want
- You can brush and floss normally
- It prevents the bone loss associated with facial collapse
This blog is brought to you by Atlanta Periodontist Dr. David Pumphrey.
