A study of therapeutic antibiotic prescribing in National Health Service general dental practice in England.

Abstract

To study the therapeutic prescribing of antibiotics by general dental practitioners. A postal questionnaire of National Health Service general dental practitioners in ten English Health Authorities. General dental practitioners (1,544) contracted to provide NHS treatment in the Health Authorities of Liverpool, Wirral, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Nottingham, North Nottinghamshire, Sheffield, Newcastle, Northumberland and North Tyneside. The questionnaires were analysed and the responses to each question expressed as absolute frequencies. Responses to the questionnaire were received from 929 (60.1%) practitioners. More than 95% of practitioners recognised the need for prescribing antibiotics where there was evidence of spreading infection. Some practitioners (12.5%) prescribed antibiotics for acute pulpitis and (3.3%) for chronic marginal gingivitis. Antibiotics were prescribed by practitioners before drainage of acute abscesses (69%) and by 23% after drainage. Practitioners were generally not influenced by patient's expectations of receiving antibiotics (92%), but would prescribe when under pressure of time (30.3%), if they were unable to make a definitive diagnosis (47.3%), or if treatment had to be delayed (72.5%). Amoxicillin was the most frequently prescribed antibiotic used for most clinical conditions apart from pericoronitis, acute ulcerative gingivitis and dry sockets where metronidazole was the drug of choice. There was a wide variety of dosage, frequency and duration for all the antibiotics used in the treatment of acute dental infections. The results obtained from this questionnaire support the conclusion that the therapeutic prescribing of antibiotics in general dental practice varies widely and is suboptimal. There is a clear need for the development of prescribing guidelines and educational initiatives to encourage the rational and appropriate use of the antibiotics in National Health Service general dental practice.