Systemic antibiotic therapy for dental treatments: side effects versus antibiotic resistance
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.2478/AMB-2026-0030Keywords:
systemic antibiotics, prophylactic dental treatment, periodontal pathology, bacterial resistance, side effectsAbstract
Abstract. Treatment of periodontal pathologies has a local but also systemic nature in cases where it is indicated after complete scaling performed in several stages. Seen from this perspective, it is very important to note that the administration of systemic antibiotics should be carried out only after the final stage of local periodontal scaling, taking into account that any remnants of periodontal calculus on the surface of the teeth where periodontal therapy is being performed must be removed. About 52% of the selected articles in this review emphasize that antibiotics are given for prophylactic treatment before dental interventions; in 20% of cases the systemic administration of antibiotics is indicated for periodontal pathologies, while in 12% of cases it is indicated for endodontic pathologies. If we review these values again so that both antibiotics and alternative treatment are applied, it is noted that systemic treatment is performed in 36% of cases, while local treatment with both antibiotics and alternative treatment is performed in 20% of cases. The systemic dosage of antibiotics for dental prophylaxis is still the most common, reaching a value of 28%. Systemic antibiotics are most frequently indicated for administration in prophylactic dental treatment and periodontal pathologies – much more frequently than in cases of endodontic pathologies. For periodontal pathologies, scientific research is oriented towards alternative treatment methods instead of systemic administration of antibiotics effective against the specific pathogen of the pathologies. There are no articles that juxtapose two alternative treatment methods with one another, since all articles emphasize the well-known facts that there is bacterial resistance and there are side effects of antibiotics and the alternative treatment method is compared with the basic methods of non-surgical periodontal treatment.
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Copyright (c) 2026 S. Heta, D. Mingomataj, V. Ostreni, I. Robo, D. Zazaj, A. Shqerra, L. Cupa (Author)
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