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Dental Antibiotics Linked To Superbug Infections

Dental Antibiotics Linked To Superbug Infections
from Dentistry Today

Antibiotics prescribed by dentists may contribute to the growing problem of Clostridium difficile (C diff), a serious and potentially deadly infection that causes severe diarrhea, according to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). Plus, many of these antibiotics are likely unnecessary and put patients at risk of developing C diff, illustrating the importance of using them only when needed, the MDH warns.

The MDH tracked community-associated C diff infections, meaning patients who did not have an overnight stay in a hospital or nursing home, in 5 counties in the state. During the 6-year period, the researchers determined that 15% of those with the infection who had taken antibiotics had them prescribed for dental procedures.

However, one third of those patients’ charts did not mention any antibiotics related to dental procedures. An earlier MDH survey found that 36% of dentists prescribed antibiotics in situations that generally are not recommended by the ADA and reported challenges to making appropriate antibiotic prescribing decisions, including confusion about or perceived conflicts among prescribing guidelines.

“Dentists have been overlooked as a source of antibiotic prescribing, which can potentially delay treatment when doctors are trying to determine what is causing a patient’s illness,” said Stacy Holzbauer, DVM, MPH, lead author of the study and career epidemiology field officer for the MDH and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“It’s important to educate dentists about the potential complications of antibiotic prescribing, including C diff. Dentists write more than 24.5 million prescriptions for antibiotics a year. It is essential that they be included in efforts to improve antibiotic prescribing,” Holzbauer said.

Dentists appropriately prescribe antibiotics in certain situations, such as infections stemming from a tooth abscess. Yet some dentists prescribe antibiotics prophylactically before a dental procedure to prevent a heart infection in patients with heart conditions or to prevent an infection of an artificial joint, such as a hip or knee replacement. The ADA no longer recommends preventive antibiotics in most of those cases, as it once did.

“It is possible some dentists aren’t aware of the updated recommendations or are being asked by other healthcare providers to continue preventive antibiotics despite the change,” said Holzbauer.

Read full article on Dentistry Today.