The influence of preoperative antibiotics on success of endosseous implants up to and including stage II surgery: a study of 2,641 implants

Abstract

According to the American College of Surgeons, complex oral surgical procedures, including the transoral placement of endosseous implants, are of the type that may require prophylactic antibiotics. However, the routine use of prophylactic antibiotics in the field of dental implantology continues to be controversial, and their utilization varies widely. No data from a randomized prospective clinical study of the prophylactic use of antibiotics in implant surgery have been previously published. As part of the comprehensive Dental Implant Clinical Research Group clinical implant study, the preoperative or postoperative use of antibiotics, the type used, and the duration of coverage was left to the discretion of the surgeon. These data were recorded and correlated with failure of osseointegration during healing (stage I) and at stage II surgery (uncovering). The results showed that significantly fewer failures occurred when preoperative antibiotics were used.