Patterns of antifungal prescribing in general dental practice.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the current practice of antifungal prescribing by GDPs in the United Kingdom. Design A postal questionnaire circulated to a random selection of 400 dentists.


METHODS
The questionnaires were analysed and the responses expressed as absolute and relative frequencies.


RESULTS
Responses to the questionnaire were received from 297 (74.3%) GDPs. Nystatin was the most popular choice of antifungal agent that GDPs would use, followed by miconazole, amphotericin B and fluconazole. The likelihood of use of miconazole was positively linked to recent date of graduation. Lack of knowledge regarding contraindications and problems with azole antibiotics was found in a significant minority of practitioners (36%).


CONCLUSIONS
The present study indicates that azole antifungal agents (especially miconazole) are becoming more widely used by GDPs, but that knowledge regarding potential problems with their use is sub-optimal. Nystatin remains the most popular choice of antifungal agent.
Oliver
R J
RJ
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Dental Hospital of Manchester. richard.j.oliver@man.ac.uk
Dhaliwal
H S
HS
Theaker
E D
ED
Pemberton
M N
MN
D000367:Age Factors; D000666:Amphotericin B / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002180:Candidiasis, Oral / Q000188:drug therapy; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015725:Fluconazole / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005792:General Practice, Dental; D006801:Humans; D008825:Miconazole / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009761:Nystatin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019239:Practice Patterns, Dentists' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom
D000935:Antifungal Agents; D009761:Nystatin; D008825:Miconazole; D000666:Amphotericin B; D015725:Fluconazole