How many mg of amoxicillin before dental work

Prior to your scheduled dental treatment, your dentist or healthcare provider may recommend antibiotic prophylaxis, also known as dental premedication, to you. In fact, when you first call to make an appointment at a new dental office, the receptionist may ask you if you require premedication prior to dental procedures. This is a very important question you may be asked. Patients need to understand what antibiotic prophylaxis means in dentistry, in case they ever encounter the need to take this prescribed medication prior to their dental appointment.

Who Needs Dental Premedication?

Often, patients who need dental premedication have certain systemic conditions, meaning conditions that affect the entire body. According to a report in The Journal of the American Dental Association, dentists may recommend antibiotic prophylaxis for patients who are at risk of infective endocarditis (IE), an infection of the heart lining. To lower your chances of developing IE, your dentist or healthcare provider will take special consideration if you have any of the following conditions:

• A prosthetic heart valve or a repaired heart valve
• A history of IE
• A heart disease present from birth or a heart defect
• A heart transplant that results in valve problems

Patients who have prosthetic joints, such as artificial hips, knees, shoulders or elbows, may or may not need to take antibiotic prophylaxis depending on the recommendation from their healthcare provider and the health of their immune system. Other conditions that may affect a patient's ability to fight infections include diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and cancer.

Procedures Requiring Dental Premedication

During some dental procedures, bacteria can enter the patient's body through the gum tissue and blood stream. While many individuals' immune systems are strong enough to fight the bacteria and stop infections, others' immune systems may need extra protection from antibiotics before a dental procedure.

Any medical condition that predisposes patients to a bacteria-induced infection should be considered a candidate for premedication, reports the American Dental Association. The dental practitioner or their healthcare provider determines if the patient requires this therapy if they are at risk for infection.

Commonly Used Antibiotics in Dentistry

If you are required to take premedication, the patient will take the antibiotic orally one hour prior to the dental appointment. The antibiotic will work to fight germs that may enter the patient's system through the gum tissue and into the blood stream during the dental procedure.

The Journal of the California Dental Association recommends 2 grams of amoxicillin for adults or 50 milligrams per kilogram of weight for children. If the patient has an allergy to amoxicillin, their healthcare provider may prescribe other antibiotics, such as clindamycin, cephalexin or azithromycin. The benefits that antibiotics provide are they are easy to take, fast-acting and kill bacteria that may cause an infection in the body. Antibiotics are generally taken with food to prevent side effects, such as an upset stomach, nausea, diarrhea and may build a resistance to bacteria according to Medical News Today. There are risks associated with any medication your dentist or healthcare provider will prescribe the patient - if they believe the potential benefits outweigh any potential risks.

Patients should maintain a thorough oral care routine of brushing twice daily and flossing once daily and follow the recommendations of their healthcare professionals — both dental and medical — to keep their mouth and body healthy. Please consult your primary care physician, cardiologist or orthopedic surgeon to determine if you require premedication prior to your regularly scheduled twice yearly dental visits.

Q: The recommended amoxicillin premedication dose for an adult patient is:

(A.) 300 mg
(B.) 500 mg
(C.) 600 mg
(D.) 2 g

Keyword: adult

2 g of amoxicillin 1 hour prior to the dental appointment is the recommended premedication dose for an adult patient. Other drugs and doses for premedication are as follows:

• 600 mg clindamycin
• 500 mg azithromycin
• 500 mg clarithromycin

What is the pediatric dose for amoxicillin? It is 50 mg/kg (maximum 2 g) amoxicillin 1 hour prior to appointment. Do you see the image today? There are 2 pills, not 4, 5, 6, or any other number. I chose this image to help you memorize 2 g. I would like to point out just one detail. It is 2 ”g” not “mg.” The questions may give you answer choices such as 2mg, 2g, 2kg just to confuse you with the measurements. But amoxicillin is in “g,” and the rest is in “mg.”

Another memory trick

Remember “grams” (not milligrams), think “G” like “Grand,” the slang for 1000 (according to Urban Dictionary).  2 G’s = $2000. I know we are not talking about money in this review for the dental hygiene boards. But the most effective way to remember is to associate the information with something you already know. Let’s go one step further. What if each pill costs you $1000 (1 G’s)???? With two pills, you will have to pay $2000 (2 G’s). Obviously, that’s not the case, but again, this is just a memory trick. Wake up your brain and everything can turn into something fun to memorize!

Answer: (D.) 2 g

Premedications are extremely important to understand for the dental hygiene board exams (NBDHE, NDHCE, CSCE). We have just learned about the dosage for premedications, but which conditions require premedications? I get this question all the time from students because back in the days, antibiotics were prescribed a lot more commonly. But things have changed. I would like to leave it here for today. But you will see another post about conditions that require premedications. If you have signed up for StudentRDH dental hygiene review for the Nationals or CSCE, you can review it there today.

Keep being strong and make sure you absorb a little bit of information daily and follow the weekly vitamins by StudentRDH for the dental hygiene board exams (NBDHE, NDHCE, CSCE). Tell your friends too! The goal is for all of us to pass the boards! #FutureRDH #RDH

(Disclaimer: StudentRDH is NOT affiliated with the NBDHE, NDHCE, CSCE, CDCA, WREB.)

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