If you wait to take it at the dentist, you need to be sure to wait the FULL hour , and not be intimidated by them rushing you to begin the dental work, which of course they will do.
No side-effects. And , not before cleaning .
I'd be wary of agreeing to take whatever pills any dentist offered. I always remember to take my meds before having teeth cleaned.
That will depend on the dentist. Not that anything is up for debate but you will have to convince some. The office has rules in place, accurate or not. Sometimes only a hygienist is present. The dentist may not be available to change their position on the matter. So far I am two for two dentists believe it is an hour before the procedure or they reschedule.
Exactly! It’s much safer to take antibiotics one hour before treatment! Knowledgable/caring dentists won’t accept to clean one’s teeth if not pre-medicated!
The statement I said wasn't accurate was that you should insist that they wait the full hour. Both of the dentists that I've seen in the last 30 years will give me the meds at the front desk if I forget to take them, but I have no doubt that some offices may have different rules.
While all of that is true, antibiotics don't just work at their peak time and taking them at the time of treatment or even up to a couple of hours later is still acceptable according to the AHA guidelines. While the bacteria may not be in the blood before the peak time, the antibiotic will still have time to kill the bacteria before damage occurs.
Lisa, Your reference to the AHA guidelines piqued my interest. After my surgery, all four cardiologists and my primary care physicians advised me to take Amoxicillin one hour before any dental procedure. When I inquired about the necessity of a second dose due to my condition and a desire for extra precaution, they assured me that I would be protected for 12 hours, despite the half-life of Amoxicillin.
Like Warfarin, there are many factors that determine how long it stays in your body - metabolism, liver and kidney function, age, etc. Since the recommended dose is every 8-12 hours, I'd guess at least 12 hours. That's why knowledgeable and caring dentists will go ahead with the treatment even if it hasn't been an hour. They know that getting a patient in the dental chair can be difficult so better to treat while they're there as bacteria in the mouth is more of a danger when dental work is skipped.
