Rising trend of dentist-prescribed antibiotics in Brazil: 2011-2021

Area of Science:

• Oral Health
• Pharmacology
• Public Health

Background:

• Antibiotic prescribing patterns in dentistry are crucial for antimicrobial stewardship.
• Understanding trends in dental antibiotic use is essential for public health initiatives in Brazil.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze trends in antibiotic prescriptions by dental practitioners in Minas Gerais (MG), Brazil, from 2011 to 2021.
• To investigate the association between these prescribing trends and public oral healthcare factors.

Main Methods:

• A time-series analysis was conducted on antibiotic prescriptions from January 2011 to December 2021.
• Defined Daily Doses (DDD) and DDD/1000 population/year were calculated. Public oral healthcare factors (coverage, procedures, dental pain) were analyzed as covariates.
• Linear time-series regression models examined trends and covariate influence.

Main Results:

• A significant increase of 334.69% in antibiotic prescriptions was observed between 2011 and 2021.
• Amoxicillin was the most prescribed antibiotic (78.53%). The number of DDD increased from 17,147.13 to 77,346.67.
• The average DDD/1000 inhabitants/year was 126.66. No association was found between public oral healthcare factors and antibiotic prescribing.

Conclusions:

• A substantial upward trend in antibiotic prescriptions by dental practitioners in Minas Gerais was confirmed.
• Public oral healthcare service factors did not correlate with the observed increase in antibiotic prescribing.
• Further research is needed to identify factors influencing dental medication use and to inform antimicrobial stewardship strategies.