Current trends in antibiotic prescribing for dental implant surgery in Turkiye: a cross-sectional survey

Aims: Prophylactic antibiotic therapy in dental implant surgery remains controversial. This study evaluated the pre- and postoperative prescribing patterns of Turkish clinicians performing implant surgery and assessed the influence of specialization and workplace on prescribing behaviors.Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a 15-item questionnaire adapted from validated instruments and reviewed by experts. Items covered clinician characteristics, pre- and postoperative prescribing habits, antibiotic choice, dosage, route, and duration. The survey was distributed electronically, and 333 responses were analyzed. Descriptive statistics summarized prescribing trends; Chi-square tests and odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals examined associations. Results: Of 333 respondents, 201 (60.4%) were general dentists, 69 (20.7%) residents, and 63 (18.9%) specialists. Preoperatively, 30 clinicians (9.0%) routinely prescribed antibiotics, 171 (51.4%) never prescribed, and 132 (39.6%) prescribed occasionally. The most common indication was systemic comorbidities (58.6%). Aminopenicillins were the preferred agents (64.0%), mainly administered orally. Postoperatively, 282 clinicians (84.7%) prescribed antibiotics, most often amoxicillin–clavulanic acid 875/125 mg twice daily (59.5%) or amoxicillin 1000 mg twice daily (28.8%) for 5–7 days. Preoperative prescribing was significantly associated with workplace(p