Antibiotics prescribed by dentists in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

A study aims to evaluate the current use of antibiotic prescribing by dentists in Ho Chi Minh City. The prospective study collected data from 73 dentists working in Ho Chi Minh City from March to September 2022 using a questionnaire based on the online tool Google Form, including general information about dentists, patients’ infection condition, and photocopies of prescriptions. A total of 458 prescriptions was obtained. The number of prescriptions related to dental infections was 312 (68.1%), and more than 130 (28.4%) were related to procedures/surgery. Prophylactic antibiotics were indicated after interventions. The most commonly prescribed antibiotic is spiramycin combined with metronidazole (39.5%), followed by co-amoxiclav (33.8%) and amoxicillin (11.8%). Most dentists prescribed antibiotics based on their knowledge and experience (87.7%). Most of the doses, dose intervals, and duration of antibiotic use prescribed by the participants in the study were consistent with the manufacturer’s recommendations and current guidelines. However, prophylactic antibiotics are recommended to be prescribed before the interventions; single antibiotics are preferred over combination antibiotics in treating oral infections. The current situation of antibiotic prescribing in Ho Chi Minh City still has some inconsistent points compared to recommendations and guidelines. Because the species of bacteria causing the disease and the situation of susceptibility/resistance vary from place to place, further evaluation studies are needed to aim at the safe and effective use of antibiotics.