Ampicillin concentrations in human serum and dental granulomas of 31 patients were determined after a single oral dose of talampicillin (equivalent to 500 mg of ampicillin) was administered to each. The specimens were taken at 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, and 3.5 h after the administration of talampicillin. The mean peak ampicillin concentrations in serum and dental granulomas occurred at identical times, 2.5 h, and were 8.29 micrograms/ml (range, 1.81 to 13.20 micrograms/ml) and 2.94 micrograms/g (range, 1.14 to 7.16 micrograms/g), respectively. The mean dental granuloma/serum ampicillin concentration ratio at the peak time (2.5 h) was 0.42 (range, 0.29 to 0.56). Ampicillin concentrations in dental granulomas exceeded most of the MICs for the bacteria commonly isolated from odontogenic infection.