Antibiotic prescribing knowledge of national health service general dentalpractitioners in England and Scotland

The inappropriate use of antibiotics has contributed to the worldwide probl em of antimicrobial resistance. Information on the knowledge, understanding and training of dental practitioners in the use of antibiotics in clinical practice is scarce. This study assessed the level of knowledge of general dental practitioners and the need for educational initiatives. An anonymous postal questionnaire was sent to National Health Service dental practition ers working in 10 Health Authorities in England (1544) and four Health Boar ds in Scotland (672). Each correct answer to the questionnaire was given a score of one mark; there were 84 questions. The scores for each section of the questionnaire were compared. Responses were received from 1338 (60.4%) of practitioners, of whom 22.1% had attended postgraduate courses in the pr evious 2 years on antibiotic prescribing. Practitioners who had attended co urses had a significantly greater knowledge of antibiotic use (P < 0.05) th an those who had not. There was no significant difference in knowledge betw een all age groups under 60 years of age. There were significant difference s in knowledge between dentists practising in English Health Authorities an d Scottish Health Boards (P < 0.01). Knowledge was good for clinical signs that are indicators for prescribing antibiotics and for a number of non-cli nical factors, e.g. patient expectation. Knowledge of therapeutic prescribi ng for commonly presenting clinical conditions and prophylactic prescribing for medically compromised patients, however, was generally poor. This stud y has shown that an urgent review of dental undergraduate and postgraduate education in antibiotic prescribing is required. Provision of prescribing g uidelines may improve knowledge and encourage the appropriate use of antibi otics in clinical dental practice.