Evaluation of Antibiotic Prescribing Patterns in Paediatric Dental Patients: Cross - Sectional Epidemiological Study

Summary Background/Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate the antibiotic prescribing patterns for the treatment of paediatric oral infection, dental trauma and prophylaxis among dentists in Turkey. Material and Methods: A total of 206 paediatric dentists, including general dentists, paediatric dentists and specialist dentists, participated in this cross-sectional study. The questionnaire included questions about the number of paediatric patients treated and antibiotics prescribed, the most commonly prescribed antibiotic for oral infections and the clinical conditions under which antibiotics were prescribed. The participants’ ages, workplaces and professional experience were also evaluated. Results: The majority of the participants were paediatric dentists (45.1%) and general dentists (42.7%). For the management of dental infections, most dentists prescribed penicillin (94.7%). Their foremost prescription choices for the presence of an anaerobic infection were metronidazole (48.5%) and penicillin (32%). For dental trauma, the most common antibiotic-prescribed cases were avulsion and contaminated wounds, followed by alveolar fracture. Antibiotics were prescribed as a first choice for dental infections and dental infections of anaerobic origin, with no significant differences between professional experience or dental specialty in the dentists (p > 0.05). Practitioners belonging to Ministry of Health dental centres significantly differed from all other groups in preferring the antibiotic cephalosporin for dental infections of anaerobic origin. Conclusions: Adherence to published guidelines for antibiotic prescriptions for anaerobic dental infections and dental trauma was low. Clearer, more specific guidelines and increased post-graduate education could lead to a reduction in the negative consequences of this issue’s resultant over-prescribed antibiotics.