Dentists have a significant role to play in helping to slow the global development of antibiotic resistance, and the Faculty is keen to highlight the problem.
FGDP(UK), whose guidelines Antimicrobial Prescribing for General Dental Practitioners are available for free online, has joined forces for the second year with the Association of Clinical Oral Microbiologists (ACOM) and the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (BSAC) to create a thunderclap , which harnesses individuals’ social media networks to spread messages.
Dentists are asked to pledge that they will “make more time to manage infection and only prescribe antibiotics in line with published guidelines”. The website will then create an attention grabbing ‘thunderclap’ by simultaneously posting the pledges on the social media accounts of all those who signed up at 1pm on Monday, November 30. Over 100 dentists subscribed to last year’s thunderclap, which reached over 100,000 social media users; FGDP is hoping to exceed those numbers this year and is encouraging dentists to sign up and share the link with other dentists.
The initiative has been launched to coincide with European Antibiotic Awareness Day on November 18, 2015, and this year also sees the first ever UN World Antibiotic Awareness Week from November 16-22.
Nikolaus Palmer, editor of FGDP(UK)’s antimicrobial prescribing guidelines, believes that dental practitioners need to reflect carefully on the management of dental infections and the use of antibiotics:
“The FGDP(UK)’s evidence based guidance sets out sensible protocols for dental practitioners when considering the need to prescribe antimicrobials. Those that follow this guidance will already be aware that the majority of uncomplicated dental swellings can be successfully treated by removal of the source of the infection by drainage of the associated abscess. It is vital that dental practitioners recognise their role in helping to reduce the development of antimicrobial resistance.”
Melanie Wilson, chair of the Association of Clinical Oral Microbiologists, believes that concerted action by dentists and members of the dental team can make a significant difference to the number of antibiotics prescribed in the dental surgery:
“All members of the dental team have a role to play in ensuring patients are aware that antibiotics are not always required for the management of infection.” There is evidence that prescribing has been reduced in some areas of the UK by increasing awareness of available guidelines and the use of prescribing audit tools. However, there is a long way to go since there is still evidence of inappropriate prescribing such as, in response to patient demand and in the absence of systemic signs of infection. Adherence to the guidelines and the appropriate management of infection should help reduce prescribing further and limit the development of antimicrobial resistance.”