A recent survey conducted by the Journal of the American Dental Association shows that dentists prescribe antibiotics to children more often than professional prescribing guidelines recommend. The study used a self-administered questionnaire to survey 154 North Carolina dentists on how they would treat patients in five clinical scenarios that required antibiotic-prescribing decisions. Only 10 to 42 percent of the participating dentists adhered to professional prescribing guidelines. Of the 154 participants, 31 percent were pediatric dentists and 69 percent were general practitioners. The low adherence rate surprised the article's corresponding author, Jessica Y. Lee, DDS, MPH, according to Medscape Medical News. "What can go wrong is that we can develop antibiotic-resistant organisms," she told Medscape. "And people can have an allergic reaction that can be pretty severe." In September, a study published in the Center for Disease Control's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) examined how often doctors prescribed antibiotics to children aged 14 and younger from 2007 to 2008 in comparison to prescription rates in 1993 to 1994. Researchers concluded that in 2007 and 2008, pediatricians prescribed an antibiotic during 229 of every 1,000 office visits, which is 24 percent lower than in 1993 and 1994. However, reporters of the study include that: "Although the overall antibiotic prescribing rate for persons aged ≤14 years has decreased, the rate remains inappropriately high. Further efforts are needed to decrease inappropriate antibiotic prescribing for persons aged ≤14 years.†To view the complete AAPD guidelines on the use of antibiotic therapy for pediatric dental patients, click here. For more information on antibiotics and its uses, visit www.cdc.gov/getsmart.
