CIDRAP (07/17/26) Szabo, Liz

Findings from a small study suggest that educating dentists about antibiotic stewardship can significantly reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescribing, helping to combat antimicrobial resistance and improve patient safety. Researchers found that after a three-hour educational program and ongoing access to a personalized prescribing dashboard, nine private-practice periodontists reduced unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions for patients with artificial joints by nearly 90%, sharply decreased prolonged 10-day antibiotic courses, and substantially cut use of higher-risk antibiotics such as clindamycin and fluoroquinolones. These changes persisted for at least three years, indicating that targeted education and feedback can drive lasting improvements in prescribing behavior. The findings are important because an estimated 80% of preventive antibiotics prescribed by dentists are unnecessary, contributing to antimicrobial resistance—a global health threat linked to millions of deaths annually—as well as serious adverse effects such as Clostridioides difficile infections. While the study lacked a control group, experts believe its results highlight the potential value of expanding antibiotic stewardship programs across dentistry.

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