Are Antibiotics Over Used?
Yes, according to the latest research. A survey of 154 dentists in North Carolina appears to show that too many practitioners are over prescribing antibiotics, to children in particular.
The survey found that while the dental authorities in the US State issued guidelines on how to prescribe the drugs, a large proportion of dentists weren’t prepared to stick to the guidelines.
Among the guidelines issued by the American Academy of Paediatric Dentistry, dentists are supposed to prescribe antibiotics for children with facial swelling irrespective of whether the child feels pain or not. However, when dentists were given a scenario to think about during the research only 26% of dentists gave the correct answer.
“What can go wrong is that we can develop antibiotic-resistant organisms, and people can have an allergic reaction that can be pretty severe,” Dr Lee, associate professor of paediatric dentistry at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill told local reporters.
The researchers do point out, however, that while the results of the survey are useful, the sample used was small and restricted. As such, the results will inevitably be statistically skewed. In order to get a more definitive answer to the question it is advisable to test the questionnaire on a much larger group of dentists.
Tags: allergic reactions, overuse of antibiotics, US State guidelines