Does bacteremia always need to be addressed in dentistry?

This article from Samuel G. Babbitt, DVM, DAVDC, is timely as National Pet Dental Month starts next week. He shares the results of a small study aimed to assess whether transient bacteremia developed after dental scaling, root planing and dental extractions, as well as whether the amount of bacteremia warranted antibiotics. The study authors concluded perioperative use of systemic antibiotics for dental procedures in healthy dogs may not be warranted, although systemic bacteremia may not be the only criteria on which to base use of antibiotic therapy.

Source: Clinician’s Brief, April 2024. Link.

Perioperative use of systemic antibiotics for dental procedures in healthy dogs may not be warranted.”