The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has called for a stop to inappropriate use of antibiotics in the NHS.
These calls have come after the World Health Organization found antimicrobial resistance (AMR) a serious threat to public health worldwide, and the British Dental Association (BDA) has called on patients and policymakers to help dentists rise to the challenge of AMR in dentistry.
‘Antibiotics won’t cure an abscess, so patients shouldn’t be surprised when their dentist suggests treatment other than a prescription,’ Dr Graham Stokes, chair of the BDA Health and Science Committee, said.
‘Dentists are already subject to regulation to ensure prescriptions can be justified.
‘What we don’t have is a contract that provides adequate time for dentists to treat emergency cases.
‘So we call on the Government to recognise the real threat of AMR and factor this into any reformed package.
‘This danger presented by antibiotic resistance requires a change in gear from practitioners, patients and policymakers.
‘The simple message is we can’t go on as we are, and the dental profession is stepping up and taking a lead.’
