Is the unregulated prescribing of antimicrobials in dentistry a key catalyst for antimicrobial resistance?

Abstract

Antibiotics are essential for treating infections in routine dental practice. Their applications range from abscesses and pericoronitis to post-operative extraction, root canal therapy, space infections, and implant placements. However, unregulated, and uncontrolled antibiotic prescriptions to patients result in significant short- and long-term consequences, one of which is Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). The growing threat of AMR is worldwide and is further turning into a pandemic monster. In times like these, it is often valid to ask whether unregulated antimicrobial prescription in dentistry is an important factor contributing to AMR. This article aims at answering this question along with providing necessary evidences and strategies to curb this issue in the landscape of dentistry.