Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39472506›Full record

ArticleEvidence-based dentistry2024

Are antibiotics overprescribed for apical periodontitis in dental practice?

Huda Moutaz Asmael Al-Azzawi

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Evidence-based dentistry, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

1 author.

Huda Moutaz Asmael Al-AzzawiMelbourne Dental School, The University of Melbourne, Carlton, Victoria, Australia. hasmael@student.unimelb.edu.au.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4634-3642

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

data sourcesThere is a discrepancy in the databases and data sources mentioned by the authors. The abstract references four databases, which differ from those listed in the materials and methods section. According to the methods, the literature search was conducted across three databases: PubMed-MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Scielo. However, the abstract mentions four databases, including MEDLINE/PubMed, Wiley Online Database, Web of Science, and Scopus. STUDY SELECTION: All relevant articles were searched using specific keywords derived from Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms and text words (TW) related to the topic. Following the screening of titles and abstracts, the full texts of the selected studies were reviewed, and inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied. Any disagreements regarding study inclusion were resolved by consensus. Studies that reported data on antibiotic prescription patterns by dentists for the treatment of apical disease were included. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Data extraction was carried out by three independent reviewers, with a fourth author resolving any disagreements. Extracted data included publication details (authors, year of publication), number of respondents, response rate, survey location, and prescriber type (general practitioner, endodontist, or dental surgeon). The primary outcome measured was the percentage of dentists prescribing antibiotics for each form of periapical endodontic disease.

resultsThe search strategy identified a total of 96 studies, of which 39 cross-sectional studies met the inclusion criteria. Dentists prescribed antibiotics in 25.8% of cases of symptomatic apical periodontitis (AP) and in 31.5% of asymptomatic AP cases. In instances of acute symptomatic apical abscess with swelling and moderate to severe symptoms, approximately 89% of dentists prescribed antibiotics, compared to nearly 100% of endodontists.

conclusionsEndodontists demonstrate more appropriate antibiotic-prescribing practices than general practitioners. Globally, dentists tend to over-prescribe antibiotics for managing apical disease. Therefore, there is a pressing need to enhance antibiotic prescribing practices in the treatment of endodontic infections.

Indexed as

Anti-Bacterial AgentsPeriapical PeriodontitisPractice Patterns, Dentists'HumansInappropriate PrescribingAnti-Bacterial Agents

Identifiers

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.