1.Experience of Malaysian Undergraduate Dental Students on the Appropriate Use of Systemic Antibiotics for Endodontic Pathology
Siti Hajar Omar ; Choong Jing Wei ; Tan Jhia Shen ; Safura Anita Baharin
Annals of Dentistry 2025;32(No. 1):10-17
This study aims to explore experiences of Malaysian undergraduate dental students on the appropriate use of
systemic antibiotics for pulp and periapical pathology. Final-year students from thirteen Malaysian dental
schools were invited to participate in an online survey on the use of systemic antibiotics for treatment of pulp
and periapical infections. The questionnaire was divided into i) respondents’ demographic data; ii) experiences
and practices related to antibiotic use in managing endodontic pathology. Two open-ended questions were
included to assess awareness on i) existing guidelines for prescribing antibiotics for endodontic pathology; ii)
consequences of overprescribing antibiotics. Response rate was 100%. Amoxicillin (with or without clavulanic
acid) (85.0%) was the most used antibiotic while clindamycin (53.7%) was chosen for penicillin-allergic patients.
Antibiotic treatment was carried out for five-day duration. Cases of acute apical abscess with systemic
involvement received the most antibiotic prescriptions (88.5%). A considerable number of students
inappropriately prescribe antibiotics for asymptomatic apical periodontitis with or without sinus tract (29.0%)
and reversible pulpitis (5.6%). 87.0% of respondents were aware of detrimental effects of antibiotics overuse.
Despite high awareness on antibiotics’ side effects, some students still prescribe antibiotics unnecessarily.
Enhancement of undergraduate endodontic education is highly recommended to avoid unnecessary antibiotic
prescriptions.


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