Attitude to antibiotic therapy in dentists conducting therapeutic treatment of patients

Abstract

Objective. To assess practicing dentists who treat patients conservatively attitude to antibiotic therapy in general, the degree of awareness of the rules for prescribing antibiotics, approaches to prescribing antibiotics for various dental diseases and therapeutic and preventive manipulations. Materials and Methods. The questionnaire was developed and an anonymous survey-questionnaire of 173 practical dentists conducting therapeutic reception of patients was carried out. The questionnaire included a list of diseases, therapeutic and prophylactic manipulations in which respondents consider the use of antibiotics indicated and questions to assess the respondents’ awareness of modern methods of antibiotic therapy and their views on the rules for prescribing antibiotics. Results. A statistical analysis showed that antibiotics using is considered inappropriate: in the conservative treatment of pulpitis after root canal filling (83.2%), during the conservative treatment of chronic apical periodontitis (66.5%, 95% CI: 59,4-73,5%), in patients with chronic catarrhal gingivitis (69.4%, 95% CI: 62,5-76,2%), in patients with chronic generalized periodontitis mild degree (without exacerbation) (75.1%, 95% CI: 68,7-81,6%), during professional cleaning of teeth (75.1%, 95% CI: 68,7-81,6%). The use of antibiotics is considered obligatory: in the treatment of acute apical periodontitis/exacerbation of chronic periodontitis (with suppuration from root canals) – 37.0% of respondents (95% CI: 29,8-44,2%); ulcerative necrotic gingivitis – 50.3% (95% CI: 42,8-57,7%), with chronic generalized periodontitis in the acute stage – 71.1% (95% DI: 64,3-77,9%), with professional cleaning of teeth in patients with concomitant pathology – 38.2% (95% DI: 30.9-45.4%) Conclusions. Insufficient awareness of practical dentists, leading the conservative reception of patients, about modern methods of antibiotic therapy was revealed. The problems of the current dentistry situation are identified under such conditions of legally approved standards of care and clinical recommendations absence, as well as absence of organizational opportunities to conduct tests to determinate the sensitivity of microflora to antimicrobial drugs before prescribing antibiotics in outpatient dentistry are identified.