^Dental

Knowledge of the bacterial species present when dealing with an infectious condition will be very helpful in selecting an appropriate antimicrobial and therefore culture and sensitivity testing is often indicated. If this information is not available, a combination of cytology and a knowledge of which pathogens are likely for a given situation may help in selecting an appropriate antimicrobial. Some sites of infection have predictable common bacterial species, for example Staphylococci in canine pyoderma.³ Knowledge of the site of infection may also suggest whether bacteria are likely to be aerobic or anaerobic, for example abscesses are likely to involve obligate and facultative anaerobes.³

 

Suggested antimicrobials for dental infections*

Clindamycin^3,7,84

Amoxicillin^3,7

Metronidazole⁸⁴ with spiramycin^3,7

Doxycycline^3,84

Amoxicillin-clavulanic acid for oral soft tissue infections⁸⁴

 

There are very few oral or dental conditions that can be managed with antimicrobial treatment alone,⁸⁴ and therefore these should generally be used alongside other dental treatment, such as tooth extraction.

 

Common bacterial pathogens

Anaerobes and mixed aerobes³

 

*Suggested antimicrobials are based on references from scientific literature and may not necessarily reflect UK market authorisations for the relevant species or condition. Veterinary surgeons are advised to carefully check the Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC) before prescribing a product.