New toolkit launched to improve antimicrobial stewardship among dentists

A new toolkit has been launched to help improve standards of effective antimicrobial stewardship in UK dentistry.

Developed by Public Health England, the Faculty of General Dental Practice (UK) and the British Dental Association (BDA), the kit includes an easy self-audit tool and patient-facing posters and leaflets.

Currently, dentists issue around nine percent of all antibiotic prescriptions in NHS primary care, and five percent of the NHS total. As such, their actions will play a vital part in the health service's efforts to combat the rise of antibiotic resistance.

The number of people dying annually from antibiotic-resistant infections is predicted to rise to ten million by 2050, with the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance still on the increase despite the NHS' progress on cutting the number of unnecessary prescriptions.

Since 2015, all UK healthcare providers have had a statutory duty to ensure appropriate antimicrobial use to tackle this problem, and the new toolkit will facilitate those efforts.

BDA chair Mick Armstrong said: "Our profession is showing real leadership in the fight against antibiotic resistance and this new toolkit gives all dentists the chance to play their part."

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