Antibiotic misuse in the dental profession in India: A silent health emergency

The use of antibiotics by health care professionals has benefitted mankind to a great extent in achieving adequate control of infections. However, there has been a tremendous rise in the use of antibiotics among medical and dental professionals during the last 10-15years which has given rise to a serious global problem of antibiotic resistance (AMR). There is a significant problem of antibiotic misuse by dental professionals in India, with antibiotics being prescribed inappropriately for clinical and non-clinical reasons. There are no dedicated antibiotic prescribing guidelines for dental practitioners in key Indian policy documents. Despite, many studies reporting inappropriate use of antibiotics by dentists, the full extent of this problem is still unknown and reasons for such prescription patterns are unclear and need further investigation. The present paper attempts to provide the most recent information regarding antibiotic misuse by dentists in India and recommends appropriate measures to combat this public health threat.