How can a dental procedure impact a prosthetic joint? When you have a dental procedure, bacteria in your mouth can enter your bloodstream. This also happens during normal daily activities, such as brushing and flossing your teeth. For most people, the immune system kills the bacteria and prevents them from causing infection somewhere else in the body. However, people with certain underlying medical conditions are at increased risk of infection and may need to take an antibiotic before some dental procedures. Taking an antibiotic to prevent an infection is called antibiotic prophylaxis [PDF – 1 Page]. In the past, antibiotic
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