World Antimicrobial Awareness Week: Antibiotics do not cure toothache

National dental organisations have come together to support the World Health Organisation’s Antibiotic Awareness Week, which runs from November 18-24.

The Faculty of General Dental Practice UK, the Association of Clinical Oral Microbiologists, the College of General Dentistry, the British Dental Association, the British Association of Oral Surgeons, the Association of Dental Hospitals and the dental sub-group of the Scottish Antimicrobial Prescribing Group are repeating the message to patients that “antibiotics do not cure toothache”, and reminding dental teams that antibiotics should only be used as an adjunct to definitive clinical management of the cause, and only where indicated.

Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the dental profession has focused on preventing the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to their team, patients and the wider population. During the first national lockdown, the provision of general dental services was severely restricted and limited to the referral of urgent and emergency cases and the provision of advice, analgesics and antimicrobials where appropriate.