The Use and Abuse of Antimicrobial Agents in Dental Practice

It’s been over 60 years since the wide spread use of penicillin saved millions of lives from infection. Today there is a rapid emergence of antimicrobial resistance and it’s on the increase with each passing day. The dentists are responsible for a large number of antimicrobials prescribed and thus have a part to play in the antimicrobial resistance also. The present article discusses how are the dental professionals prescribing habits differ from other medical professionals, how are they contributing towards antimicrobial resistance and what are the steps which can be taken to curb the overuse of antimicrobials by dentists.