ArticlePloS one2020
Antibiotic prescription patterns for treating dental infections in children among general and pediatric dentists in teaching institutions of Karachi, Pakistan.
Article in PloS one, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 27 citations in OpenAlex.
- Are systemic antibiotics indicated in children presenting with an odontogenic abscess in the primary dentition? A systematic review of the literature.Clinical oral investigations · 2021Pooled it
- Antibiotic Prescribing Patterns for Pulpitis in Pediatric Dentistry: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Antibiotic Prescribing Practices for Apical Periodontitis and Acute Periapical Abscess in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Review
- Antibiotics Use for Dental or Oral Cavity Infections in Pediatric Dentistry: Knowledge and Prescribing Practices Between Italian Dentists.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Adherence to Antibiotic Prescriptions Among Dental Patients in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study.Cureus · 2025Article
- Antibiotic use in pediatric dental infections: knowledge and awareness levels of dentists.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Appropriateness of antibiotic prescribing among patients treated for dental diseases in Mekelle city, Northern Ethiopia: a cross sectional study.Journal of health, population, and nutrition · 2024Article
- How decisions are made: Antibiotic stewardship in dentistry.Infection control and hospital epidemiology · 2023Article
- Antibiotics in Dentistry: A Narrative Review of the Evidence beyond the Myth.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Review
- The prescription pattern and awareness about antibiotic prophylaxis and resistance among a group of Egyptian pediatric and general dentists: a cross sectional study.BMC oral health · 2021Article
- Oral pain and infection control strategies for treating children and adolescents in India.Journal of family medicine and primary care · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAntibiotics are regularly prescribed by dental professionals in their practice, for the purpose of dental treatment as well as for the prevention of infection. The inappropriate use of antibiotics is a significant factor in the rise of antibiotic resistance. There is an immediate need for the advancement of prescribing guidelines and instructive polices to encourage the rational and appropriate utilization of medications especially antibiotics in dentistry.
objectiveThe aim of this study was to identify the frequency of antibiotic prescription for treating dental infections in children among dentists in teaching institutions of Karachi, Pakistan and whether they are adhering to the prescribed international guidelines.
methodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in three private and two public colleges of Karachi. After taking written informed consent and checking the inclusion criteria, a total of 380 participants were interviewed using a pre-designed validated questionnaire which included demographic profile and clinical case scenarios. Data were entered and analyzed on SPSS version 20. Inferential analysis was performed using chi-square test. The significance level was set at 0.05.
resultsOf the 380 subjects, a majority (71.3%) treated 15 or less children per month (n = 271) while 28.7% of dentists (n = 109) treated more than 15 children per month. Overall adherence to American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry guidelines was low from 26.1% to 44.2%. The difference between adherence of dentists with low and high volume of pediatric patients was significantly different for case scenarios 1, 3, 4 and 5 (p<0.001 for all) where dentists who treated 15 or less children per month were more likely to be adherent to standard antibiotic prescription guidelines than those who treated more than 15 children per month.
conclusionsThis study shows that majority of dentists, particularly dentists with high volume of pediatric patients lacked adherence to professional guidelines for prescribing antibiotics for treating dental infection in children. There seem to be a lack of harmony between the recommended professional guidelines and the antibiotic prescribing pattern of dentists. Regular updates and continuing medical education for the health professionals regarding comprehensible and specific professional guidelines may lead to improved adherence of antibiotics prescription amongst dentists.
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