Did you know that some dental procedures require the use of antibiotics?
In other words, if you have a procedure where the risk of infection is high, or where there is already infection present, a dentist is going to prescribe antibiotics as part of their treatment. And, if you think that those antibiotics are just a side dish to the main course, please think again. If you are in perfect health, with a fully functioning immune system, your body may be able to fight off infection. But why take the risk?
Imagine for a moment that your system isn’t firing on all eight cylinders right now. Maybe your body is depleted by that low-level infection in that tooth that needs root canal therapy. You might not even be aware of the problem, but you are definitely going to need to treat that infection with antibiotics. If you don’t actually take the medication as your dentist instructs you risk the infection spreading to other teeth or perhaps developing into an abscess— or worse, sepsis. An infection might even result in losing one tooth or more.
Sometimes antibiotics are prescribed as a preventative measure. That means that you are taking the medication to ward off any possible infection even if you don’t have an infection now, especially in those cases where the treatment involves surgery (cutting the gums) or pulling a tooth. So, if you are having dental implants, expect to need to take antibiotics for a period of time.
Overmedication and Natural Medication
We know that many people are cautious about taking medicine, and in a sense you should be. We agree that overmedication is its own problem. And there are some people who just don’t want to take any medicine at all. Sometimes they will even buy the medicine with the intention to just keep it on hand in case they need it. But in the case of dental care, that approach could be downright foolish.
Some clinics involved with biodentistry in Costa Rica do not prescribe antibiotics because their patients believe that natural medicine is better. If you are one of these patients, you are taking an unnecessary risk that could result in further damage and perhaps further cost if hospitalization is required.
What if I don’t want Antibiotics?
What if your dentist gives you antibiotics and you don’t want to take them? Here’s what we suggest. Ask your dentist what could happen if you got an infection because you weren’t taking the antibiotics. Listen to what he or she has to say, because that is what could happen to you. No dentist wants anything bad to happen. But some dentists are willing to take risks that most other dentists would consider unnecessary and unwise. Regardless of your health or your desire to seek biological or holistic dental care in Costa Rica, please consider that taking antibiotics, when it comes to dentistry, can be very important, and in rare circumstances, even lifesaving.
If you’d like to receive a free quote from a leading dental clinic in Costa Rica, please fill out the form on this page.