The Knowledge and Attitude of Practicing Dentists towards the Antibiotic Prescription: A Regional Study

Aims: To assess dentist’s knowledge and practice in relation antibiotic prescription and to investigate if they follow the current international guidelines.
Methodology: In this cross sectional study a structured and pretested questionnaire was sent to 202 licensed dental practitioners in UAE, Iran and Jordan took place in period between December 2011 and January 2012 by e-mail and physical delivery.
Results: Of 160 responding dentists 93.1% would prescribe antibiotics for dentofacial infections with systemic signs but many prescribe antibiotics for conditions where antibiotic therapy is not required according to good practice. Amoxicillin was the most frequently prescribed antibiotics. The non-clinical factor that may affect decision of the majority of dentists to prescribe antibiotics was perception of the effectiveness of those antibiotics in previous cases they treated with same agent (61.25%). Most of the respondents (84%) prescribe prophylactic antibiotics for patients at risk of infective endocarditis.
Conclusion: This study reveals that antibiotics were still being prescribed by dental practitioners where recent guidelines suggest there is no indication.