Corrected links provided - CDC Provides Best Practices for Appropriate Antibiotic Use in Dentistry

Corrected links provided - CDC Provides Best Practices for Appropriate Antibiotic Use in Dentistry

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 percent 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.

CDC Safe Healthcare Blog

Today, on CDC’s Safe Healthcare Blog, Lauri Hicks, D.O., director of CDC’s Office of Antibiotic Stewardship, discusses how dentists can be sure to make the right diagnosis and prescribe the right drug, at the right dose, for the right duration.

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• Safe Healthcare Blog: CDC, OSAP Issue Best Practices for Dentists Prescribing Antibiotics
• Get Smart for Healthcare: http://www.cdc.gov/getsmart/healthcare
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