Review Article Open Access

Why You Should Not Prescribe Antibiotics for Dental Sinus Tracts: A Short Overview

Abstract

Antibiotic prescription is still a rising trend in the dental profession and, unfortunately, misconceptions regarding wrong antibiotic prescriptions still exist today. Intraoral sinus tracts associated with chronic dental infections are quite common in the dental setting. Due to the fact that these lesions are associated with a chronic abscess, a high percentage of dentists still find it appropriate to prescribe antibiotics thinking that this will arrest and treat the chronic lesion. Prescription of antibiotics should be carefully reviewed before it is deemed necessary. Oral health professionals should be aware of, and comply with the evidence-based recommendations in order to fight antibiotic misuse in situations where they are not recommended. This brief paper aims to review chronic periapical abscesses associated with dental sinus tracts and seeks to remind why pharmacotherapy should not be a treatment option of this specific pathology.

António HS Delgado, Maria Carolina Codorniz, Matilde Almiro, Teresa Pinheiro de Melo and Mariana Caixinha

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