Dental News - Study disproves need for antibiotic prophylaxis for prevention of dental implant infections

Dental Tribune International

Fri. 24. May 2019

save

NEW YORK, U.S.: The question of whether antibiotics positively influence the survival of dental implants in overall healthy patients is still highly discussed. Thus, in a recent study, researchers from the New York University College of Dentistry sought to determine the efficacy of antibiotic prophylaxis and specific antibiotic regimens for the prevention of postoperative infection (POI) in dental implant placement.

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing antibiotics with no antibiotics or placebo for dental implant placement were considered. The primary outcome was early, late or total POI, and wound dehiscence, pain and adverse events of antibiotic treatment were secondary outcomes.

The researchers screened 1,022 abstracts and ten RCTs, involving a total of 1,934 patients. All ten individual studies reported no statistically significant difference for POI. Meta-analysis found no statistically significant differences in early, late or total POI, wound dehiscence or adverse effects between antibiotic and no-antibiotic groups.

The researchers concluded: “The results of this systematic review suggest that antibiotic prophylaxis may not be indicated for prevention of POIs following dental implant placement in overall healthy patients. These findings and in light of antibiotic-associated risks for individual and public health demand revaluation of routine prescription of antibiotic prophylaxis in dental implant placement procedures.”

The study, titled “Antibiotic prophylaxis may not be indicated for prevention of dental implant infections in healthy patients. A systematic review and meta-analysis,” was published in the April 2019 issue of Clinical Oral Investigations.

Tags:

To post a reply please login or register

Study finds need for further research on antibiotic therapy in dental implantology

PORTOVIEJO, Ecuador: The application of the concept of osseointegration revolutionised the treatment of edentulous patients. However, as applications ...

Antibiotics for dental procedures linked to superbug infection

SAN DIEGO, USA: New research has found that the unnecessary prescription of antibiotics by dentists may be playing a significant role in cases of ...

Turkish dentists found to overprescribe antibiotics for endodontic infections

ANKARA, Turkey: It is well known that antibiotic resistance is a growing problem and that some bacteria have become resistant to even the most powerful ...

Why mouthwashes are important for general health and infection prevention

KRIENS, Switzerland: Dental professionals play an important role not only in oral health but in well-being in general. This gives dental care extra ...

3D-printed aligners: Study finds need for material-specific cleaning protocols

Antibiotic use in implant dentistry: A call for standardised guidelines

LEIPZIG, Germany: There are conflicting opinions and evidence on antibiotic use before and after implant surgery and in peri-implantitis treatment. Given ...

Antibiotics may worsen oral infections

CLEVELAND, U.S.: Scientists have long known that overuse of antibiotics can do more harm than good, resulting for example in antibiotic resistance. However,...

Study highlights benefits of in-house 3D printing for immediate dental implant placement

FORT WORTH, Texas, U.S.: Owing to the growing popularity of point-of-care 3D printing and the subsequent creation of 3D-printing laboratories, a recent ...

AI tools for dental anaesthesiology are promising but need work

YOKOSUKA, Japan: Large language models (LLMs), a type of artificial intelligence (AI) tool, are gaining popularity across medical disciplines, including ...

Maintenance of dental implants for the hygienist

Implant dentistry has become more and more prominent in our everyday practice as patients are keen to have implant-borne prostheses than a conventional ...

Education

Live webinar
Tue. 23 September 2025
10:00 am EST (New York)