Is Premedication Really Necessary?
The Mouth Mechanics are tackling the topic of premedication today—why do you have to take it? Why can’t you be seen if you don’t? And is it really necessary? Premedication can be confusing for patients who just want an examination or a cleaning and don’t understand why these seemingly non-invasive procedures require prophylactic medication. They just want to be seen quickly and with the minimum of fuss, so why do dental professionals insist on using premedication for some patients?
The team starts this episode with an easy answer to these questions: premedication is there to protect your health. They explain it’s an antibiotic that prevents any bacteria in your body from becoming irritated and causing an infection, and while it’s not necessary for every patient, it is vital for those with some pre-existing conditions. The premedication stops bacteria stirred up during an exam from getting into your bloodstream and causing infections in patients with such conditions as strokes, heart conditions, and even pregnancy. The team emphasizes that this isn’t done with the intention of frustrating or irritating patients—and definitely not because they’re lazy!—but is an important part of keeping you safe while you’re under their care. They also recommend always getting your care and medication from licensed professionals and not risking borrowing medication from a friend or skipping out on proper examinations. After all, every body responds differently to medication and bacterial strain, and something that seems like a small problem can turn out to be serious under proper examination. Finally, the Mouth Mechanics wind up by reiterating that premedication is the proactive, protective choice and discussing plans to include guests from other medical fields in future episodes of the show.
Episode Highlights:
- Premedication: what it is, what it does, and who needs it
- Getting your teeth cleaned by a professional
- The input that goes into decisions that dental professionals make
- Getting an appointment with the Mouth Mechanics
- Why the team would make you wait for medical clearance
- Making the team aware of your antibiotic regimen
- The importance of getting your medication from a licensed professional
- Why you need to get your teeth properly evaluated
- The precautions that medical professionals are taking for your safety and theirs especially during the pandemic
- Research and recommendations regarding premedication for heart murmurs
- Other conditions for which the team would recommend premedication as a safety precaution
- Why it’s worth taking these precautions
- The Mouth Mechanics’ plans for the New Year
Quotes:
“The premedication is honestly for your health. It’s not for my health, it’s not for the doctor, it’s not for anybody. If you’re married, it’s not even for your spouse’s health, the premedication is for your health.”
“If you come in already with, let’s say, a prosthetic joint, or if you come in already with a heart condition, a serious heart condition, the antibiotic is needed so that the bacteria does not irritate and cause an infection to what you already have going on.”
“I pay attention to the color of your gum tissues. I pay attention to how they’re moving because your gums are not supposed to be flapping in the wind, okay? I pay attention to the way you’re bleeding, how you’re bleeding.”
“I had a young lady that had MS, and I called her Robocop because when she showed me the X-rays from her spine, her whole spine was nothing but pins and just metal.”
“If you decide that you’re going to go to another office and they don’t take the same care, come back. We’ll take you back.”
“The antibiotic prophylaxis is really to save your life, is really to not put you back into the hospital.”
“I have my conspiracy theory patients, I love y’all.”
“Even if you don’t get the medicine from us, get it from a licensed professional.”
“The fear does blanket in the nation and it’s keeping people home from seeing not just dental professionals but even your medical professionals. That’s when, believe me, we are taking every single precaution.”
“If I already have a malfunctioning of the heart, I don’t need anything else going on with the hardware or to introduce anything else.”
“We do have patients that are appreciative of the safety measures. That’s right. And we thank y’all, we even thank the patients that make us pull on our education and flex our I-know-what-I’m-talking-about card.”
“You don’t want a healthcare professional working on you nervous. It makes you uncomfortable, and it makes you uneasy to work on someone where you don’t really know their health history or how they will respond to certain treatment. So definitely want the clearance so we can feel comfortable.”
“We just want to err on the side of caution because not every case is going to be identical.”
“When we talk about a premedication, and we want to do the antibiotic prophylaxis, it’s really to be proactive. It’s not to be reactive.”
Links:
Tanzania Davis, DDS, PC www.tdavisdds.com
