NEW Dental Antibiotic Stewardship Resources

Up to 85% of dental prescribing can be improved.

Improve Antibiotic Use in Dental Care

Dentists prescribe around 10% of overall outpatient antibiotic prescriptions nationally.1 Up to 85% of dental prescribing can be improved.2,3,4,5 In March 2023, CDC, Organization for Safety, Asepsis, and Prevention (OSAP), and American Dental Association (ADA) released new and updated dental antibiotic stewardship resources to optimize prescribing practices among dentists: NEW Dentists: Be Antibiotics Aware – Treating Patients with Dental Pain and Swelling Fact Sheet This resource summarizes updated ADA treatment guidelines on when antibiotic prescribing is and is not needed for specific dental conditions. In addition, it addresses different conditions and interventions recommended in the treatment guidelines. NEW On-demand recordings from the Antibiotic Stewardship Summit In collaboration with OSAP, on January 22, CDC participated in an antibiotic stewardship summit to address antibiotic stewardship in the dental healthcare setting. During this meeting, guidelines for the treatment of oral infections, prophylaxis (or preventative medical treatment), antibiotic-related adverse events, C. difficile infection, and antimicrobial resistance were reviewed. Challenges to responsible prescribing were discussed. The recordings are now available to view online for free. UPDATED Antibiotic Use for a Safe Dental Visit Brochure This resource can be used by dentists to inform patients and their families about using antibiotics appropriately for a safe dental visit. We encourage you to download and share these resources with colleagues. Remember: improving antibiotic use in dental care keeps your patients healthy, helps prevent side effects, and fights antimicrobial resistance.

To learn more about antibiotic prescribing and use, visit www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use or call 1-800-CDC-INFO. To learn about other oral health updates, visit the CDC Division of Oral Health to Stay Connected.

1. Hicks LA, et al. Clin Infect Dis. 2015 May 1;60(9):1308-16. 2. Gross AE, et al. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2019 Feb;6(3):1-6. 3. Suda KJ, et al. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2018 Nov;5(1):1-6.	4. Loffler C, et al. PLoS One. 2017 Nov;12(11):1-23. 5. Lockhart PB, et al. JADA. 2019 Nov;150(11):906-21.

	#Dentists: Improve prescribing habits in dental care. Download and share a summary of the latest guidelines from @AmerDentalAssn for treating patients with dental pain and swelling. https://bit.ly/3ZZdxe1 #BeAntibioticsAware

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