DeWayne
Well-known member
in the beginning, years and years ago anytime I had anything done they would put me on penicillin 10 days before and 10 days after. Taking 4 pills an hour before is not that big a deal for me lol.
Dental work and antibiotics, again
- Thread starter Nupur
- Start date
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TakeStock
Well-known member
I always get bloody gums when getting my tooth drilled down for a crown. I think sculpting the tooth around the gums is difficult to do without nicking them. I overheard the dentist discussing the bleeding when I got a crown a few weeks ago, just after finishing my endocarditis treatment. That did not put me at ease, even with the antibiotics.
Although evidence may not be there, it seems logical to me that if you have penicillin in your bloodstream, invading bacteria is going to have a tougher time reproducing. I'm curious how it would NOT help?
Although evidence may not be there, it seems logical to me that if you have penicillin in your bloodstream, invading bacteria is going to have a tougher time reproducing. I'm curious how it would NOT help?
It may have to do with the fact that while the antibiotic is circulating, your immune system is not currently reacting to the bacteria's sudden presence, so it doesn't bring the antibiotic into play. Your immune system doesn't go after anything until it recognizes a danger, which it does in a series of complex, chemical events.
If no bacterium finds a toehold in your heart or valves, the massive upwelling of immune responses never really occurs, and macrophages and other cleanup cells (phagocytes) in your blood simply encounter, engulf, and carry most of the bacteria harmlessly away.
The antibiotic bolus probably leaves your body long before the immune system could pick up any colonization or danger signals. Even bacteria take some time to multiply.
In the end, though, the apparent logic of prophylactic antibiotic use isn't what matters. The cold science is that, reasonable or not, it simply does not work. (No, not even a little.)
It's hard to look at a situation in which you've always been told you were protected (by people you were taught to trust), and find that you were actually riding into the battle naked and alone all this time. You want the feeling of protection and confidence you used to have back again.
Something like trusting a financial advisor with your retirement investments, and finding out that now you've not only not made any of the profits he always assured you of, but you've actually lost some of the original money you invested, and your house investment isn't worth anything anymore either. (This is just to illustrate the point: this type of upset happens in all kinds of professional fields, with all manner of trusted "experts.")
Moral: Don't rely solely on experts. If something important to you doesn't make sense to you, shake the truth out for yourself.
Best wishes,
If no bacterium finds a toehold in your heart or valves, the massive upwelling of immune responses never really occurs, and macrophages and other cleanup cells (phagocytes) in your blood simply encounter, engulf, and carry most of the bacteria harmlessly away.
The antibiotic bolus probably leaves your body long before the immune system could pick up any colonization or danger signals. Even bacteria take some time to multiply.
In the end, though, the apparent logic of prophylactic antibiotic use isn't what matters. The cold science is that, reasonable or not, it simply does not work. (No, not even a little.)
It's hard to look at a situation in which you've always been told you were protected (by people you were taught to trust), and find that you were actually riding into the battle naked and alone all this time. You want the feeling of protection and confidence you used to have back again.
Something like trusting a financial advisor with your retirement investments, and finding out that now you've not only not made any of the profits he always assured you of, but you've actually lost some of the original money you invested, and your house investment isn't worth anything anymore either. (This is just to illustrate the point: this type of upset happens in all kinds of professional fields, with all manner of trusted "experts.")
Moral: Don't rely solely on experts. If something important to you doesn't make sense to you, shake the truth out for yourself.
Best wishes,
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
that's the air going out of my balloon
that's the air going out of my balloon
Nupur
Well-known member
Very interesting discussion. I am more conflicted now. I guess for my root canal I will go ahead and take them since I have them already.
Btw, my dentist also gave me penicilin to take before the root canal so that the infection in the tooth is gone before the root canal. Which I haven't started taking yet.
Btw, my dentist also gave me penicilin to take before the root canal so that the infection in the tooth is gone before the root canal. Which I haven't started taking yet.
deano89
Well-known member
i read an article where they stated the use of antibiotics for dental work was not neccessary because they were ONLY 70% effective and that in there opinion the risk of anatholatic shock was greater than the risk of endocarditis and you had a greater risk of endocarditis from brushing your teeth
i personally would rather have the cover .be interested to hear if anyone on here who as had endocarditis did have antibiotic cover for dental work but still went on to get endocarditis
i personally would rather have the cover .be interested to hear if anyone on here who as had endocarditis did have antibiotic cover for dental work but still went on to get endocarditis
Nupur
Well-known member
One more question : My dentist gave me an oral rinse called Perio Rx with Chlorhexidine Gluconate in it. He said that after a cleaning I should rinse with this for a few days since it kills bacteria. Is this a good precaution against infection, not necessarily an alternative to anti biotics, but in general? Do you all use a rinse to minimize chances of infection on a daily basis?
I started using Listerine mouth wash after brushing my teeth after my surgery. I asked my surgeon if this was a good preventative measure and his response was "it can't hurt" and he thought it was a good idea. So take that for what it's worth. My motto has always been to try to kill the bacteria once there has been an opportunity for them buggers to invade...not before. I had endocarditis, but my infectious disease doctor diagnosed that it was from chronic bronchitis which eventually sent bacteria in my bloodstream throughout my body. The bacteria set up shop in two different places...my aortic valve and my prostate. I had a Ross Procedure partly because you are much less likely to contract endocarditis with an autograft and somewhat less likely with a homograft. So while my valves have been "fixed up" I still have chronic non-bacterial chronic prostatitis. I have to tell you...the damage done there has given me more long term grief than my heart issues.
deano89
Well-known member
Nupur i was given the same type of mouth wash prior to dental work after i said to my dentist you wouldnt inject my arm without steralising it first but you inject in my mouth, he agreed at the time!! but once the antibiotics stopped he wouldnt prescribe that either
still i have a new dentist who agrees to air on the side of caution as it is really an unknown!
still i have a new dentist who agrees to air on the side of caution as it is really an unknown!
KristyW
Well-known member
Your dentist is right...chlorhexadine is a good rinse for killing the bacteria that live in our mouth. It does make food taste bad for about an hour or so. I've used it several times over the years. My suggestion is rinse with it in the morning, after breakfast, after brushing your teeth...DON'T RINSE with water after using the mouthwash...it'll make the taste worse. The other time to use it is at night, after brushing your teeth right before going to bed. It does tend to stain the teeth a bit, but your hygienist can get that off with no problem.
As for the Listerine...it is good IF you do not have problems with dry mouth. Listerine has alcohol in it (that's what makes it burn) and alcohol dries the mouth out horribly. A dry mouth leads to lots of cavities as saliva is what washes off our teeth during the day.
Hope this helps.
As for the Listerine...it is good IF you do not have problems with dry mouth. Listerine has alcohol in it (that's what makes it burn) and alcohol dries the mouth out horribly. A dry mouth leads to lots of cavities as saliva is what washes off our teeth during the day.
Hope this helps.
