Dentists’ Awareness of Antibiotic Administration in Root Canal Treatment in Gorgan

Due to the importance of the administration of antibiotics in eliminating pulp and periapical microorganisms, this study aimed to evaluate dentists' knowledge about antibiotic administration in root canal treatment in Gorgan, Iran.Materials &

In this cross-sectional descriptive/analytical study, 115 questionnaires with confirmed validity and reliability were distributed among dentists in Gorgan. The questionnaires included demographic data and antibiotic administration habits of dentists in different types of endodontic therapy. Finally, 103 completed questionnaires were analyzed statistically with SPSS 16.0, using chi-squared test (α = 0.05).

The awareness of dentists about antibiotic administration in patients with acute pulpitis, acute apical abscess, and chronic periodontitis was 81.6%, 56.3%, and 64.4%, respectively. None of the dentists believed in routine antibiotic prophylaxis in root canal therapy, and 80.4% prescribed 2 g of amoxicillin as their preferred antibiotic prophylaxis, if needed.

According to the results, despite the favorable level of dentists' awareness of antibiotic administration, there is still some tendency for indiscriminate use of antibiotics by dentists in Gorgan compared to the standard indications for antibiotic administration, indicating the need for increasing the awareness of dentists in continuous education programs.