1. Identify the dental work being planned
A routine examination, cleaning, extraction and treatment of an active infection are different situations. Tell both teams exactly what is proposed and when your replacement occurred or is scheduled. If the dentist has not yet decided on treatment, start with an assessment rather than assuming the timing of every possible procedure is the same. Keep the joint, side and operation date in your dental records. Clear details help the clinicians coordinate without relying on a broad instruction such as avoid dental work.
Sources: 2024 Guideline Update: Dental Procedures and Hip/Knee Arthroplasty Infection
2. Ask whether preventive antibiotics are indicated
The 2024 AAOS guideline states that routine systemic antibiotic prophylaxis before a dental procedure may not reduce subsequent periprosthetic joint infection risk. That is not a direction to ignore a personal prescription or to take antibiotics on your own. Ask how your history, the planned dental care and any unusual risk factors affect the recommendation. If the dentist and surgeon disagree, request direct coordination. You should receive one understandable plan that explains the reasoning, potential harms and expected benefit.
Sources: 2024 Guideline Update: Dental Procedures and Hip/Knee Arthroplasty Infection
3. Distinguish prevention from treating an infection
Antibiotics prescribed for an actual dental infection answer a different question from preventive medication before a procedure. Tell the surgical team about active infection, swelling, fever or an urgent dental problem, and seek dental assessment promptly. Do not postpone necessary evaluation simply because you have a replacement. Ask which clinician owns the treatment plan and whether the orthopedic procedure date needs reconsideration. If you are given medicine, understand the purpose and follow the prescribing clinician's instructions rather than reusing an old course.
Sources: 2024 Guideline Update: Dental Procedures and Hip/Knee Arthroplasty Infection
4. Coordinate timing without inventing a universal rule
AAOS provides timing considerations around joint replacement and different dental procedures. Ask your teams which recommendation applies to the actual procedure you need, and whether urgency changes the plan. An elective visit may be scheduled differently from treatment of a painful infection. Request the agreed timing in writing, especially if you are planning surgery and dental work with separate offices. Avoid applying a waiting period from a friend or a different type of operation to your own care.
Sources: 2024 Guideline Update: Dental Procedures and Hip/Knee Arthroplasty Infection
5. Keep oral health part of the longer plan
Ask the dentist how to maintain routine care and what symptoms should bring you back sooner. Tell them about medicines, allergies and health changes since the last appointment. After replacement, ask the surgical team what information future dentists should have and whether any special circumstances warrant a new discussion. The useful goal is coordinated ongoing care, not fear of every cleaning. Bring the exact question to your follow-up visit if the discharge paperwork is broad or appears to conflict with current dental advice.
If you have difficulty arranging dental care, say so early in the replacement-planning process. Ask whether the team needs a dental assessment for a particular concern or is simply asking you to continue routine care. Those are different requests with different practical implications. Clarify who receives the dentist's findings and what, if anything, needs to be completed before the orthopedic decision proceeds. Keep that communication together with your other preparation records.
Sources: Total Hip Replacement
6. Leave with a shared record of the decision
Write down the planned dental procedure, its date, whether an antibiotic is prescribed, and which clinician made the recommendation. Include any relevant allergy or previous antibiotic problem. If a prescription is recommended, ask about the instructions directly rather than searching for a standard dose online. At Commons Clinic, tell our team when dental planning intersects with an orthopedic operation so the appropriate clinicians can coordinate. A patient review about good communication can help you choose a practice, but your individual dental and orthopedic history must guide this decision.
Sources: Total Hip Replacement
Make the most of your visit
Questions to bring to your consultation
Choose the questions that matter most to you. Bring them along, and ask us to explain anything that is unclear.
- Which dental procedure is actually planned?
- Does current guidance support prophylactic antibiotics for my situation?
- Are we treating an infection or discussing prevention?
- How should the timing relate to my replacement?
- Can the dentist and surgeon resolve any conflicting instructions directly?
- What should I keep in my records for future dental visits?
Sources & further reading
- 2024 Guideline Update: Dental Procedures and Hip/Knee Arthroplasty InfectionAmerican Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons · Published December 17, 2024
- Total Hip ReplacementAmerican Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
We use these medical sources to help explain your options and prepare you for a conversation with our team. Our guides feature our own clinicians; patient reviews describe individual experiences.
