Does Your Child Need Antibiotics Before Visiting the Dentist?

Your child’s first dentist visit is very important, and making sure they have a safe and positive experience matters greatly to us. To ensure that first visit goes smoothly, we ask a number of questions to best prepare our team for your child's visit. A health screening question we always ask parents who call to schedule a new patient exam is, “Does your child have any heart conditions, stents, or artificial devices in their body?” 

In cases where the answer to this question is “yes,” we need to ensure these particular patients have a safe and positive dental experience and that may mean including antibiotics in their preparation for dental work. 

Why Should Antibiotics Be Given Before Some Dental Procedures? 

Invasive procedures like deep cleanings, root canal treatments and minor surgical procedures have the potential to introduce bacteria from the mouth into the bloodstream. These bacteria have sticky cell membranes that allow them to cause an infection that can pose a serious health risk. Making sure that children with heart conditions have circulating antibiotics in their bloodstream will kill potential pathogens before they can cause any serious problems.  

Our team always communicates with a child’s cardiologist or cardiac surgeon to learn the specifics of a child’s condition so we can provide the safest possible care. In some cases, we will require antibiotics to be administered before performing the required dental work. While circumstances requiring antibiotics are rare, it is very important that we have all the information about a child's health to ensure their safety. Our goal is always to reduce the risk of any and every complication, infection or concern that could arise. 

You can find more information about our practice and Dr. Perry Francis here.