Awareness of antibiotic prescription for endodontic therapies – comparative survey between interns, post graduates and general dental practitioners

Objectives: To evaluate the awareness of interns, post graduates and general dental practitioners on antibiotic prescribing for endodontic conditions. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire was conducted among 20 General Dental Practitioners, 40 Postgraduate students and 60 Interns of Mamata Dental College, Khammam. Questionnaire consisted a total of 20 questions.It recorded general information such as dental school where they were graduated, number of patients seen each working day, number of endodontic emergency patients and awareness of available antibiotic prescribing guidelines for endodontic therapies. Results: Amoxicillin was the most prescribed antibiotic for patients without allergic towards penicillin.The first choice for patients allergic towards penicillin was clindamycin. The combination of amoxicillin and clavulanic acid was considered to be the first antibiotic of choice for more serious acute apical abscess cases, including life threatening conditions. General dental practitioners were aware of the guidelines for prescribing antibiotics for endodontic conditions when compared to the post graduate students and interns. Conclusion: The dental professionals should be aware of rationalization of antibiotic use and antibiotic prescription for endodontic infections, consequences of their overuse and antibiotic resistance.