Pattern of antibiotic prescription in the management ofendodontic infections amongst oral and maxillofacial surgeonsand endodontists in Gujarat

To identify antibiotic prescription in the treatment of endodontic infections amongst Oral Surgeons and Endodontists in Gujarat.

The Oral Surgeons & Endodontists registered with the Gujarat State Dental Council were surveyed on antibiotic prescription for six different pulpal and periapical diagnoses. A total of 70 questionnaires were delivered with 59 returned (84%).

The average duration of antibiotic therapy was 7.0 ± 1.0 days. Ninety five percent of respondents selected amoxicillin as the first choice of antibiotic in patients with no medical allergies, alone (34%) or associated to clavulanate (61%). The first drug of choice for patients with an allergy to penicillins was clindamycin (65%), followed by azithromycin (15%) and metronidazole (13%). For cases of irreversible pulpitis, 86% of respondents prescribed antibiotics. For the scenario of a necrotic pulp, acute apical periodontitis and no swelling, 71% prescribed antibiotics. Almost 60% of respondents prescribed antibiotics for necrotic pulps with chronic apical periodontitis and a sinus tract.

The majority of the Oral Surgeons & Endodontists in Gujarat were selecting the appropriate antibiotic for use in endodontic infections, but there are still many who are prescribing antibiotics inappropriately. The use of antibiotics for minor infections, or in some cases in patients without infections, could be a major contributor to the world problem of antimicrobial resistance.