Antibiotics Stewardship

Antibiotic use is changing so that we can provide safer dental visits for patients. While using antibiotics has shown to be beneficial for certain conditions, these potential lifesavers can also result in a range of adverse reactions including serious population-level concerns such as antibiotic-resistant infections. This course — presented by Erinne Kennedy, D.M.D., M.P.H., M.M.S., assistant dean of curriculum and integrated learning
at Kansas City University College of Dental Medicine — will define the challenges with antibiotic use, outline the roles of the dental team in practicing antibiotic stewardship, and discuss best practices in other healthcare professions. We will review the current evidence base for antibiotic use in dentistry and review best practices for dental clinicians.

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss tools to demonstrate a commitment to antibiotic stewardship within the dental setting.
• Describe action items for implementation of a stewardship program
• Identify tools to track and report antibiotic prescribing patterns
• Identify resources to educate and train the entire dental team to promote responsible antibiotic prescribing