Antibiotics in endodontics
Antibiotics in endodontics What’s are the differences between inflammation and infection? Infection generally has some aspects of inflammation because we get inflammation when we have Infection. BUT we can definitely get inflammation without infection. If you had an injury such as a broken arm. You would get pain and swelling and not be able to move the joint. But this is NOT infection only the inflammatory process. So as dentists we need to be experts of when we have inflammation and recommending anti-inflammatory medications and when there is active infection. The signs of infection are- patient has a temperature, patient has lymphadenopathy, the patient has a feeling of malaise or feels generally unwell (NOT just has a sore tooth or gum!!!), the swelling is spreading far from the site of the problem. THIS IS WHEN YOU NEED TO INCISE DRAIN AND IN IMMUNOSUPPRESSED PATIENTS (maybe …maybe prescribe antibiotics) If the infection is draining like in a sinus tract you DO NOT NEED TO PRESCRIBE ANTIBIOTICS. And you should never prescribe them for symptomatic irreversible pulpitis. The signs of inflammation are Swelling at the site of injury, Pain near the site of injury. Discomfort at the site of injury. No fever ! In these situations anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen are you best friend Please feel free to share these useful tips with your colleagues, in the hope they’ll learn from them Credits: Oral amd maxillofacial surgery