Are Antibiotic Prescribing Patterns for Endodontic Infections Among Undergraduate Dental Students Consistent With...

Area of Science:

• Dental Education
• Infectious Disease Management
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Appropriate antibiotic prescribing is a critical skill for dental professionals.
• Endodontic infections require judicious antibiotic use to prevent resistance.
• International guidelines exist for managing endodontic infections.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate dental students' knowledge of antibiotic prescribing for endodontic infections.
• To assess antibiotic selection patterns and adherence to international guidelines.
• To identify factors influencing prescribing concordance among dental students.

Main Methods:

• An online survey assessed antibiotic choices in three clinical scenarios (first-line, second-line, penicillin allergy).
• Participants were final-year dental students from 19 countries.
• Guideline adherence was scored, and mixed-effects models analyzed predictors of concordance.

Main Results:

• Amoxicillin was the most common first-line choice (57.6%), with significant country variation.
• Amoxicillin-clavulanic acid was frequently used for second-line therapy (33.2%).
• Clindamycin was common for penicillin-allergic patients (47.8%), but adherence varied widely; age predicted second-line concordance, while males and junior students had lower allergy-specific concordance.

Conclusions:

• Significant variability and frequent deviations from guideline-recommended antibiotic prescribing were observed.
• These findings indicate persistent educational gaps in antimicrobial stewardship.
• Strengthening undergraduate dental curricula with enhanced antimicrobial stewardship training is recommended.