Knowledge and Practice of Antibiotic Prescription Among Dentists for Endodontic Emergencies

• Main Authors: Mengari L, Mandorah A, Badahdah R
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amber Publication 2020-06-01
• Series: Journal of Research in Medical and Dental Science
• Subjects: antibiotic prescription; antimicrobial resistance; general dentists; endodontists
• Online Access: https://www.jrmds.in/articles/knowledge-and-practice-of-antibiotic-prescription-among-dentists-for-endodontic-emergencies.pdf

Aim: To assess the level of knowledge and practice of dentists regarding antibiotic prescription for endodontic emergencies among three groups: General dentists, Endodontist and Other specialists. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study carried out and a structured electronic questionnaire was sent through emails to dentists working in governmental sectors, private sectors, and educational institutes. Responses were collected and data were analysed using the Chi-square test at p<0.05. The data were statistically analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0. Results: Majority of respondents chose amoxicillin as the first of choice for patients without medication allergies (60%). The average duration of antibiotic prescription was 5-7 days (89.4%), while majority of respondents chose clindamycin as the first choice for patients with penicillin allergy (57.4%). There was statistically significant difference between the three groups regarding different situations related to the management of different endodontic emergencies. Conclusion: This study emphasized that the three groups treated irreversible pulpal and periapical lesions differently. General dentists were prescribing antibiotics for unnecessary endodontic emergency situations compared to endodontist. The level of dentist knowledge and attitude towards antibiotic prescription for endodontic emergencies still needs to be improved.