As many of our patients that have had joint replacements are aware, to protect the integrity and health of that hardware, a loading dose of antibiotics is prescribed before having dental procedures done. Due to the increased prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, this practice of pre-medicating has come under scrutiny. The regiment is not consistent across all orthopedic surgeons. For this reason, dentists are phasing out prescribing an antibiotic to patients that have prosthetic joints. Instead, patients are advised to seek the advice of the orthopedic surgeon who placed the prosthetic joint. Please follow this link for further information about antibiotic stewardship.

The dental industry has a new tool in our toolkit for dental pain relief. Providing pain relief to our patients is of high importance. There is now available an over-the-counter option for the temporary relief of dental pain that has been proven more effective than opioids. Read more about it:

Can teeth be grown in a laboratory? Not quite yet, but the research is thought provoking. Scientists are making progress towards generating enamel proteins. It is enamel what keeps teeth strong. Follow this link for more information.