How Long After A Knee Replacement Do You Have To Take Antibiotic Before Having Dental Work Done?
BECAUSE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF GETTING BACTERIAL ENDOCARDITIS (A SERIOUS HEART INFECTION), YOU SHOULD ALWAYS BE PREMEDITATED WITH 2 GRAMS OF AMOXICILLIN OR 1GRAM OF CLINDAMYCIN 1 HOUR PRIOR TO HAVING ANY DENTAL TREATMENT.
ONE DOSE THE DAY OF TREATMENT IS SUFFICIENT EVERY TIME YOU HAVE TREATMENT.
We tell our patients to premed for the rest of their lives. Some surgeons(that do the knee replacements) are telling patients that after one to two years there is no longer a need to premed. We feel it is better to be safe…than sorry.
(The premed guidelines, that we are recently aware of that are changing are for those patients with heart murmurs)
The protocol for prophylactic antibiotics is currently undergoing some changes, but if your knee replacement was within the last 5 years I believe that it is still universally recommended to pre-medicate.