Antibiotics Aren’t We Over Prescribing? A Cross Sectional Study

Introduction: - It has been reported that the over-prescription of antibiotics in children is leading to increased fatal diarrheal cases and a drastic change in the sensitiveness of gut flora. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) has published guidelines for antibiotic use, recognizing the increasing prevalence of antibiotic resistant microorganisms. Objective: The objective of this survey is to compare the antibiotic prescription pattern and the awareness of antibiotic resistance among Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) practitioners and Pediatric Dentists. Materials and methods: 100 BDS practitioners and 100 Pediatric Dentists were included in the study and a questionnaire were given to each practitioner which is comprised of information regarding antibiotic prescription for most common oral conditions, their dosage, etc. Results: The majority of the practitioners prescribed antibiotics for managing oral diseases. On comparing the prescription patterns between the BDS practitioners and Pediatric Dentists, it has been found that an over prescription in the BDS group for many conditions, which was statistically significant. Amoxicillin was the most commonly prescribed drug in both the groups. In the presence of an anaerobic infection, the most preferred drug was a combination of metronidazole. With regard to the duration of antibiotic prescription, 74% BDS practitioners prescribed antibiotics for 3-day course and 36% Pediatric Dentists has given it for 5 day or 1 week course which was statistically significant. The awareness regarding antibiotic prophylaxis and antibiotic resistance was found to be adequate in the pediatric practitioner groups. However, there was a general lack of awareness with regard to the guidelines for antibiotic prescribing in BDS practitioner groups. Conclusion: Practitioners should prescribe antibiotics in accordance with the guidelines to curb antibiotic resistance, for an emerging health problem.