Antibiotic Prescribing Practices Among Dental Practitioners in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study: Antibiotic Prescribing Practices Among Dental Practitioners

Hamdan Alamri; Rasha Alafaleg; Reem Aloraini; Joud Aljabr; Layan Alnukhaylan; Rasha Alnassar; Alhussain Daghriri

doi:10.22317/jcms.v11i4.1943

Authors

Hamdan Alamri Department of Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology, College of Dentistry, Qassim University
Rasha Alafaleg Department of Basic Oral Medical Sciences and Dental Education, College of Dentistry, Qassim University, Buraydah, Saudi Arabiaa
Reem Aloraini College of Dentistry, Majmaah University, Majmaah 11952, Saudi Arabia
Joud Aljabr College of Dentistry, Majmaah University, Majmaah 11952, Saudi Arabia
Layan Alnukhaylan College of Dentistry, Majmaah University, Majmaah 11952, Saudi Arabia
Rasha Alnassar College of Dentistry, Majmaah University, Majmaah 11952, Saudi Arabia
Alhussain Daghriri 7 Assistant Professor, Department of Prosthodontics, College of Dentistry, Qassim University, Buraydah 51452 , Qassim, Saudi Arabia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22317/jcms.v11i4.1943

Keywords:

Antibiotic, antibiotic resistance, prescribing, dental practitioners, oral health care, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to explore the patterns and determinants of systemic antibiotic prescriptions among dental practitioners in Saudi Arabia.

Methods: A cross-sectional electronic survey was conducted among dental professionals from multiple regions of Saudi Arabia. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data on demographics, work sector, clinical experience, and prescribing behaviors for various dental conditions and procedures. Data were analyzed using a combination of descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results: A total of 407 dentists participated in this survey. The majority were general practitioners (51.4%) working predominantly in the public sector. Amoxicillin 500 mg was the most prescribed antibiotic (72.2%), whereas clindamycin was the preferred alternative in penicillin-sensitive patients. Although antibiotics were frequently prescribed for conditions such as cellulitis (53.1%) and abscesses with systemic symptoms (59.2%), they were also inappropriately prescribed for conditions such as pulpitis (33.2%) and implant surgeries (29.2%). Notably, over 65% of the respondents had received formal education on antibiotic prescribing during dental training.

Conclusion: The findings highlight both rational and excessive antibiotic use patterns among dental practitioners in Saudi Arabia. While prescriptions aligned with recommendations for systemic infections, antibiotics were often inappropriately used for localized or non-indicated conditions. Targeted educational interventions and clearer national guidelines are recommended to enhance antibiotic stewardship in dental practices.

Clinical relevance: The incorporation of national guidelines and continuous education to address antibiotic resistance may be beneficial. More research is required to establish its significance in dental setting.

References

Abdullah FM, Hatim QY, Oraibi AI, et al. Antimicrobial management of dental infections: updated review. Med 2024;103:38630. https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000038630

Puri B, Vaishya R, Vaish A. Antimicrobial resistance: current challenges and future directions. Med J Armed Forces India 2024;82:265–74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mjafi.2023.11.003

World Health Organization. Antimicrobial resistance. Geneva: WHO; 2024.

Buonavoglia A, Leone P, Solimando AG, et al. Antibiotics or no antibiotics, that is the question: an update on efficient and effective use of antibiotics in dental practice. Antibiotics 2021;10:550–8. https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics10050550

Tampi MP, Pilcher L, Urquhart O, et al. Antibiotics for the urgent management of symptomatic irreversible pulpitis, symptomatic apical periodontitis, and localized acute apical abscess: systematic review and meta-analysis. J Am Dent Assoc 2019;150:179–216. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adaj.2019.09.011

Dorofaeff T, Mohseni-Bod H, Cox PN. Infections in the PICU. In: Elzouki AY, Harfi HA, Nazer HM, editors. Textbook of clinical pediatrics. 2nd ed. Berlin: Springer; 2012. p. 2537–45.

Roganović J, Barać M. Rational antibiotic prescribing is underpinned by dental ethics principles: survey on postgraduate and undergraduate dental students' perceptions. Antibiotics 2024;13:460–8. https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics13050460

Prouty Z, Reynolds JC, Askelson N. Motivations and experiences among dentists in rural private practice: a qualitative study. J Public Health Dent 2023;83:265–74. https://doi.org/10.1111/jphd.12578

Constant ML, Kimmoun A, Baudet A, et al. Knowledge in oral infectiology and antibiotic stewardship of French dental students: a national cross-sectional survey. Eur J Dent Educ 2025;29:123–30. https://doi.org/10.1111/eje.12987

AlBaker AM, Al-Ruthia YSH, AlShehri M, et al. The characteristics and distribution of dentist workforce in Saudi Arabia: a descriptive cross-sectional study. Saudi Pharm J 2017;25:1208–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsps.2017.09.005

Alamri H, Almuraikhi T, Alhawiti W, et al. Adherence to antibiotic prescriptions among dental patients in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study. Cureus 2025;17:78599. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.78599

Abdellatif HM, Alsagob EI, Hebbal M, et al. Adherence to the current guidelines on antibiotic prescription among dental practitioners: a national survey. PLoS One 2025;20:320528. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0320528

Degtiar I, Rose S. A review of generalizability and transportability. Annu Rev Stat Appl 2023;10:501–24. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-statistics-040522-115850

Von Elm E, Altman DG, Egger M, et al. The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement: guidelines for reporting observational studies. PLoS Med 2007;4:296. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.0040296

Stratton SJ. Population sampling: probability and non-probability techniques. Prehosp Disaster Med 2023;38:147–8. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1049023X2300029X

Al Marah ZA, Abdulkareem AA, Gul SS, et al. A survey of systemic antibiotic prescription patterns amongst Iraqi dentists. Int Dent J 2022;72:338–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.identj.2022.06.001

Suresan V, Das S, Verma RK, et al. Antibiotic prescribing practices amongst the dental practitioners of Bhubaneswar City: a cross-sectional study. World J Dent 2022;13:520–6. https://doi.org/10.5005/jp-journals-10015-2087

Hertzog MA. Considerations in determining sample size for pilot studies. Res Nurs Health 2008;31:180–91. https://doi.org/10.1002/nur.20247

Hasan N, Rana RU, Chowdhury S, et al. Ethical considerations in research. J Nurs Res Patient Saf Pract 2021;1:1–4.

Rahman A, Muktadir MG. SPSS: an imperative quantitative data analysis tool for social science research. Int J Res Innov Soc Sci 2021;5:300–2.

Cope LC, Abuzour AS, Tully MP. Nonmedical prescribing: where are we now? Ther Adv Drug Saf 2016;7:165–72. https://doi.org/10.1177/2042098616646726

Teoh L, Stewart K, Marino RJ, et al. Perceptions, attitudes and factors that influence prescribing by general dentists in Australia: a qualitative study. J Oral Pathol Med 2019;48:647–54. https://doi.org/10.1111/jop.12924

Antibiotic Prescribing Practices Among Dental Practitioners in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study