International Consensus on a Dental Antibiotic Stewardship Core Outcome Set

Area of Science:

• Oral Health
• Infectious Disease
• Public Health

Background:

• Antibiotic resistance poses a significant global health threat.
• Dentists contribute to antibiotic use, with high rates of unnecessary prescriptions.
• Optimizing antibiotic use in dentistry is crucial for preserving efficacy.

Approach:

• A literature review identified candidate outcomes for dental antibiotic stewardship.
• Two Delphi rounds involved 33 international participants (dentists, academics, patients).
• Consensus was reached on critical outcomes for inclusion in the core set.

Key Points:

• The core outcome set includes antibiotic use, adverse events, and patient-reported outcomes.
• It excludes outcomes related to quality, time, and cost.
• The study involved diverse international participation, including from low- and middle-income countries.

Conclusions:

• This core outcome set provides a minimum standard for future dental antibiotic stewardship research.
• It aims to improve study design, reporting, and international comparability.
• Enhanced research will strengthen the oral health sector's contribution to fighting antibiotic resistance.