PRESCRIBING TRENDS OF SYSTEMIC ANTIBIOTICS BY PERIODONTISTS IN PAKISTAN

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the current perceptions in prescription of systemic antibiotics for treating periodontal and peri-implant diseases. Methods: It was a descriptive, cross-sectional study involving an electronic survey of a sample of periodontists from Pakistan. A pre-validated questionnaire was disseminated to Pakistan Medical and Dental Council registered periodontists of Pakistan in order to ascertain their prescribing patterns of systemic antibiotics for various periodontal diseases. These included plaque-induced gingivitis, aggressive periodontitis, chronic periodontitis, acute gingival and periodontal conditions, conditions associated with dental implants, mucogingival surgery and periodontal regeneration. Results: From the 68 periodontists that responded to this study, 44 completed the questionnaire and their responses were analyzed. Prescribing trends of systemic antibiotics varied individually as well as for different periodontal conditions among the responding periodontists. Highest rate of antibiotics prescription was recorded for the management of aggressive periodontitis, which was 95.5%. Succeeding this were acute periodontal conditions, implant placement surgery, periodontal regeneration procedures and mucogingival surgery, having a prescription rate of 93.2%, 79.5%, 50% and 29.5%, respectively. Combination of amoxicillin and metronidazole, azithromycin, and amoxicillin were the three drugs of choice for various periodontal conditions. Conclusion: Based on the results from this survey, it was deduced that systemic antibiotics are widely prescribed by the periodontists in Pakistan, with varying rates and patterns for different periodontal and peri-implant diseases. These results highlight the need for guidelines and recommendations in the prescription of antibiotics for various periodontal diseases and peri-implant conditions.