Antibiotics and the intraoral abscess.

Sensitivity tests were administered to determine the effectiveness of several antibiotics in the management of the oral abscess. Cultures were taken from 13 patients who were diagnosed as having either a periodontal or periapical abscess. Results revealed the following 1. The most effective antibiotic was Chloromycetin. Yet it was felt that its medical contraindications far outweigh its use by the dental practitioner. 2. Tetracycline was the least effective antibiotic. 3. Penicillin, because of its high potency against microorganisms of the dental abscess, should be considered the drug of choice. Its use, however, must be restricted to patients who give a negative history to allergies and/or asthma; when such a history is positive, erythromycin should be used. 4. Appropriate culture and sensitivity tests should be performed to determine the susceptibility of the causative organism(s) to the drug of choice.