Amoxycillin compared with penicillin V for the prophylaxis of dental bacteraemia

Abstract

A 2-g oral dose of either penicillin V or amoxycillin was found to be effective in reducing the incidence of bacteraemia following dental extraction, when administered under supervision 1 h before extraction. There was little difference between the two antibiotics in their antibacterial activity against viridans streptococci or dental anaerobes. However, the 2-g oral dose of amoxycillin is preferable to that of penicillin V for the oral prophylaxis of endocarditis as it can be expected to provide much higher serum antibiotic levels than penicillin V during the 6 to 8 h following extraction.