Since the beginning of Oral Implantology, preventive antibiotic therapy has been routinely prescribed. However, at present, due to the growing appearance of antimicrobial resistance, its use has been questioned, generating a great debate and an emerging controversy. The present systematic review aims to analyze the scientific literature to determine whether the preventive prescription of antibiotics in augmentation procedures with the insertion of implants in one or two phases decreases the incidence of postoperative infections and/or the survival rate of the implants.

The MEDLINE database was searched (via PubMed) with the following keywords: (bone grafting OR alveolar ridge augmentation OR bone graft augmentation OR guided bone regeneration OR bone block) AND (dental implants OR dental implant OR oral implantology) AND (antibiotic prophylaxis OR antibiotics). The criteria used were those described by the PRISMA® Statement. The search was limited to randomised clinical trials, systematic reviews and meta-analyses published in the last 15 years (2005–2020).

After reading the titles and abstracts of the resulting articles, only one systematic review meeting the described criteria and 4 randomised clinical trials were included.

Prescription of 2 or 3 g of amoxicillin one hour before surgery is recommended to reduce the early failure rate of one-stage implants and to decrease the bacterial load of grafted bone particles in bone augmentation procedures with one or two-stage implants.