KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICES OF PATIENTS REGARDING ANTIBIOTICS USED FOR DENTAL PROBLEMS

Introduction: Antibiotics are commonly used as well as misused drugs in the world, particularly in developing countries. Objectives: The main objective of the study is to analyse the knowledge and practices of patients regarding antibiotics used for dental problems. Material and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Bhitai Dental & Medical College, Mirpur Khas during January 2019 to August 2019. The data was collected through a questionnaire. The questionnaire used aided in collecting the following information from study participants: Demographic characteristics, knowledge about antibiotic prophylaxis, knowledge about antibiotic resistance, knowledge of antibiotic prescription guidelines, clinical conditions for which antibiotics are indicated, most commonly prescribed antibiotics, antibiotic regimen durations. Results: A total of 312 dental patients responded to this survey, 138 of whom were high income (44.2%), and 174 of whom were low income (55.7%). The responses given by the participants regarding antibiotic prescriptions for commonly encountered oral and systemic conditions are presented. When comparing low income and high-income dental patients, it was found that there was no significant difference in antibiotic prescription frequency between the two groups. Conclusion: It is concluded that high self-medication rates were reported in the sample despite reasonable knowledge about antibiotic resistance and its side effect