Abstract
The prescription of preventive antibiotics (PA) in oral implantology is a controversial issue. The study aimed to determine the prescribing habits of PA in professionals dedicated to oral implantology in various treatments in healthy and at-risk patients. This is a cross-sectional observational study based on the STROBE (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) guidelines. An electronic survey consisting of 4 blocks of questions was sent to members of the Spanish Society of Implants. The data were analyzed using descriptive analysis. A total of 303 participants (20.8%) responded to the questionnaire. One percent never prescribed PA, 55.4% prescribed them always, and 43.6% prescribed them sometimes. Ninety-six percent administered them preoperatively, while 92.4% administered them postoperatively. The most commonly used antibiotic is amoxicillin followed by amoxicillin with clavulanic acid (875/125 mg). Clindamycin is the most commonly administered antibiotic in patients with allergies. Professionals dedicated to oral implantology frequently prescribe PA in both healthy and at-risk patients, especially perioperatively. Immediate implant placement, sinus lifts, bone regeneration, and multiple implant placement are the treatments in which PA are most commonly prescribed, as well as in patients with heart valve prostheses or a history of bacterial endocarditis and immunodeficiency.
Highlights
Dental implants are the most predictable treatment option for total or partial replacement of missing teeth, around 0.7–3.8% of implants fail [1]
Patients with a smoking habit, diabetes mellitus, immunodeficiency, hip prosthesis, heart valve prosthesis or at risk of infective endocarditis (IE), and/or psychiatric disorders were identified as risk factors
Professionals dedicated to oral implantology frequently prescribe preventive antibiotics (PA), especially perioperatively, in the absence of recommendations and/or sufficient evidence, it is not possible to establish the suitability of the prescribing habits described
Summary
Dental implants are the most predictable treatment option for total or partial replacement of missing teeth, around 0.7–3.8% of implants fail [1]. These failures can be “early” or “late” depending on whether they occur before or after functional loading, respectively [2]. Since the beginning of oral implantology, the prescription of preventive antibiotics (PA) has been incorporated into implant placement protocols [5] due to the presence in the oral cavity of more than 500–700 bacterial species, in addition to other non-culturable microorganisms discovered by molecular biological techniques that can contribute to the development of postoperative infections [6,7]. The intrinsic complexity of antibiotic therapy decisions, poor microbiological information, and insufficient knowledge of infectious diseases can lead to poor selection or duration of antibiotic treatment and to inappropriate use [11]
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