Why should you take antibiotics when having invasive oral procedures?

The case of a man who ended up in the ICU at Santa Casa de Araraquara, in the interior of São Paulo, after removing three wisdom teeth, raised questions about the need for care related to invasive oral procedures. One of the points concerns the importance of taking antibiotics correctly after surgery.

Operations in the mouth area increase the risk of infection, as explained to the Earth the dental surgeon Adriano Rafael. “The oral cavity is an environment rich in microorganisms. Manipulation during invasive procedures can introduce pathogenic bacteria into the bloodstream, leading to serious complications such as systemic infections and abscesses,” he says.

According to the dentist, antibiotics can be used before the procedure, preventively, to reduce the bacterial load in the mouth, and also after the surgery has been performed. “After the procedure, antibiotics may be prescribed to combat possible infections that may arise due to exposure of internal tissues to oral bacterial flora or the introduction of bacteria during the procedure,” he says.

The use of antibiotics after operations is even more important for patients with fragile health conditions and a predisposition to infections, diabetes or immunological compromise.

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Risks of not taking the correct medication

It is important to use the medication as prescribed by the specialist. Not taking your medication correctly, whether before or after surgery, can lead to a slower recovery and an increased vulnerability to infections. Furthermore, not using the medicine correctly can lead to other complications, such as persistent infections, diseases in other areas of the body and a need for more invasive interventions than what has already been done.

The effectiveness of antibiotics is usually seen within two to three days. “If there is no improvement, it is important that the patient returns to the dentist for reevaluation, as this may indicate possible bacterial resistance or the need for different treatment”, says the dental surgeon.

Adriano Rafael warns that the use of antibiotics must be carried out under medical supervision and cannot be done indiscriminately, as the organism can develop bacterial resistance. “The decision to prescribe antibiotics before and after invasive oral procedures should be based on a careful assessment of the individual’s risk of infection and the responsible use of antimicrobial agents.”