Prevalence of unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions among dental visits, 2019

The US National Action Plan aims to decrease unnecessary outpatient antibiotic use by 50%. A cross-sectional analysis of 2019 Veterans’ Affairs electronic health record data revealed that 92,224 antibiotic prescriptions were associated with 88,539 dental visits. Prophylaxis for complications in medically compromised patients was the most common antibiotic prescription. Over half of antibiotics prescribed by dentists do not have guidelines supporting their use, making improving prescribing crucial to achieve the national goal.