title: Presentation and antimicrobial treatment of acute orofacial infections in general dental practice.
abstract: Information on the presentation of orofacial infections and the use of antimicrobial agents in general dental practice in the United Kingdom was obtained using a postal questionnaire. Six hundred dentists were randomly selected and a total of 340 replies were received, giving a response rate of 57%. The dental practitioners estimated that acute infection was present in only a minority (approximately 5%) of patients. A total of seven different antibiotics were prescribed, in a variety of regimens, for the treatment of bacterial infection. However, the majority of dentists (46-62%) preferred a 5-day course of penicillin (250 mg, qid) for bacterial conditions other than acute ulcerative gingivitis, for which most practitioners (89%) prescribed 3 days of metronidazole (200 mg, tid). Nystatin was the most frequently selected anticandidal agent and topical acyclovir the most popular therapy for Herpes simplex infection.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Meechan
authors.forename: T W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: MacFarlane
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Lamey
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kay
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D002180:Candidiasis, Oral / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D005457:Fluoridation; D005792:General Practice, Dental; D006801:Humans; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D010482:Periapical Abscess / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D013283:Stomatitis, Herpetic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D006113:United Kingdom
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents