British Dental Journal 2009-04-11

The role of phenoxymethylpenicillin, amoxicillin, metronidazole and clindamycin in the management of acute dentoalveolar abscesses--a review.

S J Ellison

Index: Br. Dent. J. 206(7) , 357-62, (2009)

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Abstract

Antibiotics are the most widely prescribed category of drugs issued on prescription by general dental practitioners. Despite this there remains little evidence-based literature on what should be prescribed for any given clinical situation, at what dosage and for how long. Given the current climate of evidence-based research, the need to keep antibiotic prescribing to an acceptable minimum, increasing levels of resistance of micro-organisms and widespread hospital infections with 'superbugs', there is a distinct need for appropriate prescribing guidelines. Considering best practice, an extensive review of the literature and a thorough understanding of current empirical treatment regimes, an attempt has been made to recommend suitable antibiotic prescribing for the adult patient suffering from acute dentoalveolar infections based on evidence.