Which antibiotics are allowed?

Nearly all antibiotic groups reach such a high concentration in the belly of the child as in the mother’s circulation, which is why an intake should be taken with caution and care. In general, penicillins are considered the antibiotic of choice both during pregnancy and while breast-feeding, because they achieve the most effective results in fighting the bacteria in the case of an inflammation of the tooth root. Penicillins include amoxicillin and ampicillin.

However, since resistance to penicillins or even allergies is becoming increasingly common, the alternative antibiotic in pregnancy is clavulanic acid, which belongs to the beta-lactamase inhibitors, or cefuroxime, which belongs to the cephalosporins. Erroneously, some dentists still prescribe clindamycin for root canal inflammation, although its effectiveness is only moderately satisfactory in many cases and the antibiotic is still little researched. Therefore, clindamycin should only be prescribed in emergencies when all other subgroups are not effective or an allergy is present.

Neither the antibiotics of choice during pregnancy, the penicillin subgroups, nor clavulanic acid or cefuroxime have shown complications during pregnancy or birth. These antibiotics do not endanger the health of mother and child and can therefore be taken. Clindamycin has not been sufficiently researched and should only be taken in an emergency.

Only in the group of macrolides such as erythromycin, which was the antibiotic of choice for many years, animal experiments have shown abnormalities in the newborn and complications during pregnancy. Therefore, erythromycin is strongly discouraged in order not to endanger the welfare of the child. In general, however, it should be noted that the first three months of pregnancy is the most sensitive period, where a spontaneous abortion, i.e. death of the child, can also occur. During this time, antibiotics should not be taken and household remedies should rather be used to combat the pain. From the fourth month of pregnancy onwards, both of the following phases are considered relatively stable, which is why antibiotics are most likely to be taken here.