Abstract
Background and objectives: Antimicrobial resistance is an important threat to human health. This study evaluated the current antibiotic prescribing practices of New Zealand (NZ) dentists and provides discussion on areas of improvement in antimicrobial stewardship.
Methods: This study involved two sources of data: (1) A questionnaire was distributed to a random sample of 300 practising NZ general dentists. Participants were asked about their frequency of prescribing antibiotics for common dental conditions, the antibiotic they would choose to treat irreversible pulpitis or third molar pericoronitis, barriers to providing surgical treatment, confidence in selecting antibiotics, and their interest in relevant professional development activities. (2) Community dispensing data from the National Pharmaceutical Collection were used to describe dentist antibiotic dispensing patterns over time.
Results: The questionnaire participation rate was 33%. Most participants were trained in NZ and worked in private practice. Two-thirds of participants would prescribe antibiotics for the management of third molar associated pericoronitis and one-quarter would prescribe antibiotics when treating patients with irreversible pulpitis. 5-Day courses of antibiotics were preferred, with variation observed in follow-up practices. From 2017-2024, the overall number of antibiotic courses dispensed in NZ per 1000 population consistently increased (38 courses per 1000 population in 2017, to 52 in 2024) for dental prescribers. The opposite trend was seen amongst medical prescribers.
Conclusions: Wide variations exist in antibiotic prescribing practices among NZ dentists, and a high proportion did not follow available guidelines. There is considerable room for improvement in antibiotic prescribing among NZ dentists.