Do you need an antibiotic before root canal treatment? It’s called antibiotic prophylaxis (pronounced pro-fuh-lax-iss). There are two categories of patients who may need this. Those with certain heart conditions and those with prosthetic joint implants. The rules change so what may have been true for you in the past may not be true now.

The current standard is the doctor requiring an antibiotic prophylaxis (cardiologist, orthopedic surgeon, etc.), is the one who should prescribe it. If you have any questions about this, be sure and ask at your root canal consult appointment.

The American Dental Association has a description of when one may be needed. This is a general guide and it is your MD who would make the determination if it is needed for you specifically. And then they would prescribe it.