title: How can we as dentists minimize our contribution to the problem of antibiotic resistance?
abstract: More than 30 million pounds of antibiotics are used in the United States per year, more than 90% for nontherapeutic purposes in animals. Environmental contamination by trace amounts of antibiotics and highly resistant bacteria can lead to resistant infections in humans. Oral and maxillofacial infections are largely mediated by biofilms, which are resistant to antibiotics. Primary treatment is surgical debridement, removal of the cause of the infection, and drainage of pus. Current best practices indicate the use of antibiotics as adjunctive therapy to surgery only when regional, distant, or systemic spread of the infection is a significant risk.
authors: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Baylor College of Dentistry, Texas A&M Health Science Center, 3302 Gaston Avenue, Dallas, TX 75246, USA.
authors: Drew B
authors: DB
authors: Havard
authors: J Michael
authors: JM
authors: Ray
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development; D003646:Debridement; D004322:Drainage; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D006801:Humans; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014076:Tooth Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004785:Environmental Pollutants