A Visit To The Dentist Requires Antibiotics?

(HealthDay News) -- Although dental care is important for everyone, people who have had joint replacement surgery must be especially attentive before visiting the dentist.

According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, bacteria that cause infections in the mouth can travel through the bloodstream and settle near artificial joints.
Dental procedures that may require preventive antibiotics include work that may cause bleeding, injection of anesthetic into the gums, or dental extractions.
If you have any of the risk factors described below, talk to your dentist about the possible need for preventive antibiotics:

• You have arthritis.
• Your immune system is weak.
• You have type 1 diabetes.
• You had joint replacement less than two years ago.
• You've had a previous infection near an artificial joint.
• You have hemophilia.