In an article published today in The Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA), experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention (OSAP) provide best practices for responsible antibiotic use in dentistry.

Dentists write nearly 26 million prescriptions for antibiotics each year, which amounts to 10% of all antibiotic prescriptions filled in outpatient pharmacies. While the extent is unknown, experts are concerned that unnecessary antibiotic prescribing occurs in dental settings. To assist throughout the entire antibiotic prescribing process, CDC and OSAP have developed a checklist to guide dentists through pretreatment, prescribing, and patient and staff education.

Patients are encouraged to use the following Do’s and Don’ts for ensuring patient safety when they or their loved ones are prescribed antibiotics at the dentist.