Antibiotic Stewardship in Dentistry: Current Practices, Challenges, and Future Directions

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance is a growing global public health threat driven largely by the inappropriate and excessive use of antibiotics across healthcare settings, including dentistry. Dentists contribute significantly to outpatient antibiotic prescribing, yet a substantial proportion of these prescriptions are unnecessary or inconsistent with evidence-based guidelines. This review examines current practices in antibiotic use within dentistry, highlighting appropriate clinical indications, common patterns of misuse, and their implications for patient outcomes and resistance development.