Knowledge and Attitude of dentists towards antibiotic use in children: A cross-sectional survey

Introduction: Antibiotics form an important constituent of therapeutic clinical care in dentistry. However recent reports highlight a growing injudicious use and rise of antibiotic resistance, with 7%-11% of all common antibiotics prescribed by dentist alone. The American Academy and pediatric dentistry has regarding antibiotic usage laid down guidelines catering specifically to the needs of children. Thus, the objective of this study was to compare the antibiotic prescription pattern among dental practitioners and the awareness of antibiotic resistance in Delhi – NCR region. Objective:To compare the antibiotic prescription pattern and the awareness of antibiotic resistance across various strata of dentists. Materials and Method:A total of 120 dentists participated in the study. Inclusion criteria was willingness to participate and mentally competent to answer in written format, for a self-designed questionnaire containing open and closed ended questions. Chi- Square Test was applied. Results: When comparisons were made between Interns and MDS it was found that there was a significant increase in the prescription of antibiotics among the MDS rather than Interns for most of the oral conditions except for a few conditions such as trauma (Interns =6.7% MDS = 11.7%).When asked about the exact dosage of medication to be provided to children only 3.3% did not know about it. Rest 41.7% Interns and 46.7% MDS prescribed it according to weight and age both 26.7% Interns and 35% MDS prescribed it according to weight alone, 13.3% Interns and 16.7% MDS according to age, 10% Interns and 6.7% MDS according to height only. For the management of oral conditions, it was found that the majority of dentists prescribed amoxicillin (73.3% Interns and 85 % MDS) as their first choice followed by alone or in combination metronidazole (6.7% Interns and 16.7% MDS), cephalosporin (5.0% Interns and 6.7% MDS), azithromycin, ciprofloxacin and erythromycin. Conclusion:The results of the study highlight prevailing attitudes among dentists prescribing antibiotics to children. There exists ambiguity over correct antibiotic usage which should be dealt with appropriate understanding of disease, immune system & comprehensive knowledge of antibiotic medications.