Improving Knowledge of General Dental Practitioners on Antibiotic Prescribing by Raising Awareness of the Faculty of General Dental Practice (UK) Guidelines

Objectives: Cases of antimicrobial resistance are increasing, partly due to inappropriate prescribing practices by dentists. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prescrib- ing practices and knowledge of dentists with regards to antibiotics. Moreover, this study aimed to determine whether the prescriptions comply with the recommended guidelines and whether clinical audit can alter the prescribing practices of dentists leading to better use of antibiotics in the dental service. Materials and Methods: A clinical audit (before/after non-controlled trial) was carried out in two dental clinics in the northeast of England. Retrospective (n=30) and prospective (n=25) data were collected from antibiotic prescriptions, analyzed and compared with the recommended guidelines. Data included patients’ age, gender and clinical conditions in addition to type, dosage, frequency and duration of prescribed antibiotics and the reason for prescription. The principles of appropriate prescribing based on guidance by the Facul- ty of General Dental Practice (FGDP) in the United Kingdom (UK) were discussed with the clinicians. Pre- and post-audit information were then compared using McNemar's test and P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: After intervention, data revealed that antibiotic prescribing practices of dentists improved, as there was an increase in the percentage of prescriptions that were in accord- ance with the FGDP (UK) guidelines. Conclusion: In view of the limited data collected, this study concludes that there are inappropriate antibiotic prescribing practices amongst general dental practitioners and that clinical audit can address this situation, leading to a more rational use of antibiotics in dental practice