JAC Advance Access originally published online on February 25, 2004
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Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (2004) 53, 567-576
© 2004 The British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
Review |
Antibiotic resistance in general dental practicea cause for concern?
1 School of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK; 2 Department of Microbiology, The General Infirmary at Leeds, Leeds LS1 3EX; 3 Mutation Detection Facility, Cancer Research UK, Ashley Wing, St Jamess University Hospital, Leeds LS9 7TF, UK
This review examines the contribution dental prescribing makes to the selection of antibiotic resistance in bacteria of the oral flora. The antibiotics commonly used in dental prescribing in the UK are discussed, together with the problems of resistance in members of the oral flora. The antibiotic prescribing habits of general dental practitioners are then reviewed with respect to therapeutic prescriptions and those drugs that are prescribed prophylactically. Not all antibiotic prescriptions for dental problems are written by dentists; prescribing outside the dental profession is also considered. The review then considers the support available to dentists from clinical diagnostic microbiology laboratories. It concludes that better use of diagnostic services, surveillance and improvements in dental education are required now to lessen the impact of antibiotic resistance in the future.
Keywords: dental prescribing, oral flora, prophylaxis, diagnostic laboratories
* Corresponding author. Tel: +44-113-343-5592; Fax: +44-113-343-5638; E-mail: j.heritage{at}leeds.ac.uk
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