ReviewAntibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)2024
Antibiotic Over-Prescription by Dentists in the Treatment of Apical Periodontitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Review in Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland), 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers.
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Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.
- Article
- 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
- Stewardship of Antibiotics Prescribing in Belgian Dental Practice: A National Survey.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Article
- Assessing the Efficacy of Antibiotic Therapy: A Retrospective Study Comparing 875 mg vs. 500 mg of Amoxicillin/Clavulanic Acid for the Management of Acute Apical Abscesses.Dentistry journal · 2026Article
- Phage mediated growth inhibition and biofilm disruption of the endodontic pathogen Enterococcus faecalis.PloS one · 2026Article
- Antibiotics in dental practice: Global implications, clinical realities and the path towards stewardship.Bioinformation · 2026Article
- From prescription to resistance: integrating one health perspectives into dental antibiotic stewardship in Saudi Arabia.Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2026Article
- Over-Prescription of Antibiotics for Pulpitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Cross-Sectional Surveys.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Microbial Dynamics in Endodontic Pathology-From Bacterial Infection to Therapeutic Interventions-A Narrative Review.Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
- Are antibiotics overprescribed for apical periodontitis in dental practice?Evidence-based dentistry · 2024Article
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
After pulp infection and necrosis, the passage of microbial antigens into the periapical space causes apical periodontitis (AP). Most of the clinical forms of AP can be managed without prescribing antibiotics, only with root canal treatment and abscess drainage or, where appropriate, tooth extraction. However, the scientific literature provides evidence of inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions by dentists in the management of apical disease.
objectivesThe aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to analyze the global pattern of antibiotic prescription in the treatment of apical disease.
methodsPRISMA Guidelines were followed to carry out this systematic review. The research question was as follows: What is the pattern of antibiotic prescription by dentists in the treatment of the different clinical forms of apical periodontitis? A systematic search was conducted on MEDLINE/PubMed, Wiley Online Database, Web of Science and Scopus. All studies reporting data about the pattern of antibiotic prescription by dentists in the treatment of apical disease were included. The meta-analyses were calculated using the Open Meta Analyst version 10.10 software. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed. The risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. The certainty of evidence was assessed using GRADE.
resultsThe search strategy identified 96 articles and thirty-nine cross-sectional studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The overall percentage of antibiotic prescriptions by dentists in cases of symptomatic AP was 25.8%, and 31.5% in cases of asymptomatic AP with sinus tract present. The percentage of dentists prescribing antibiotics in cases of acute apical abscess with no/mild symptoms was 47.7%, whereas, in cases of acute apical abscess with moderate/severe symptoms, 88.8% of dentists would prescribe antibiotics. Endodontists prescribe antibiotics at a lower rate than general practitioners. The total risk of bias was considered moderate, and the final rating for the certainty of the evidence was low.
conclusionsDentists worldwide are over-prescribing antibiotics in the management of apical disease. It is necessary to improve antibiotic prescribing habits in the treatment of endodontic infections, as well as educational initiatives to encourage the rational and appropriate prescription of antibiotics in periapical diseases.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.