How teeth can effect your joint replacement!

Joint replacements don’t have teeth I hear you say! Too true, but they can still cause serious problems for you and your new joint. Infections in your teeth and gums can spread to your prosthesis and cause issues there. If you have an abscess prior to your surgery, it is likely your surgery will be deferred until the infection can be treated with antibiotics and the cause of the infection is removed. Any non-emergency dental treatment is usually deferred for 3 to 6 months after your operation as this can pose an increased risk for infection.

Patients most at risk are:

• Those with insulin dependant diabetes
• Those taking immunosuppressive treatment for organ transplants or malignancy
• Those with systemic rheumatoid arthritis those taking systemic steroids e.g. for asthma or dermatological problems
• Those with failing, particularly chronically inflamed artificial joints, and
• Those with previous history of infected artificial joints.

Most patients with normally functioning artificial joints can have routine dental treatment including extraction after 3 months post surgery.

If you are in any doubt about how your teeth could affect your prosthesis, consult with your surgeon about the  best  method to treat.

Information in this article is based on the position statement of The Arthroplasty Association of Australia http://www.aoa.org.au