title: Antimicrobial resistance with focus on oral beta-lactamases.
abstract: Over the last 10-15 yr antibiotic resistance has increased in the oral microflora. The beta-lactam antibiotics, i.e., penicillins and cephalosporins, are the most frequently used antimicrobial agents. Unfortunately, the efficiency of these drugs is increasingly being challenged by the emergence of resistant bacteria, which is mainly due to their production of beta-lactamases. In this paper, mechanisms of antibiotic resistance are reviewed, with emphasis on beta-lactamases. This review also discusses how the presence of beta-lactamases in oral microorganisms may affect the treatment of oral diseases. Dentists can influence the emerging global crisis of antibiotic resistance by carefully evaluating the indications for antibiotic treatment. General guidelines for when and how to use antibiotics in dentistry are reviewed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Biology, Dental Faculty, University of Oslo, Norway. thandal@odont.uio.no
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Handal
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Olsen
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D001419:Bacteria / Q000201:enzymology; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D009055:Mouth / Q000382:microbiology*; D018440:beta-Lactam Resistance / Q000502:physiology*; D065093:beta-Lactamase Inhibitors; D001618:beta-Lactamases / Q000378:metabolism; D047090:beta-Lactams
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D065093:beta-Lactamase Inhibitors; D047090:beta-Lactams; D001618:beta-Lactamases