KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE ON PROTOCOLS FOR ANTIBIOTIC USAGE FOR ENDODONTIC INFECTIONS AMONG DENTAL STUDENTS - A QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEY

Introduction: Antibiotics are medications that are used to cure or avoid bacterial infections. They work by either destroying or blocking bacteria from reproducing and spreading. In recent years, the endodontic regenerative procedure (ERP), an alternative therapeutic approach to apexification, has gained a lot of attention. Incorrect antibiotic use in dentistry would lead to secondary infections, and also it would make antibiotics ineffective against potentially lethal medical infectious diseases. Aim: The purpose of the study was to know about the awareness on protocols for antibiotic usage for endodontic infections. Methodology: A total of nearly 100 dental undergraduates and interns were requested to participate in the study. The questionnaire had 16 items which were designed in such a way to evaluate the awareness and attitude of protocols for antibiotic usage for endodontic infections. A small population of 100 dental undergraduates and specialists were aware of protocols for antibiotic usage for endodontic infections. Result: 59.18% of the study population felt antibiotic therapy is not required in the case of systemic involvement in endodontics, 30.61% of the study participants felt antibiotic therapy is not essential in presence of persistent infection and 10.20% of the study population felt antibiotic therapy is not required in the case of indications of progressive infection (figure 2). Conclusion: Most of the dental undergraduates and interns these days are aware of protocols for antibiotic usage for endodontic infections and show a responsible attitude towards these procedures. But there exists a group of population who are not aware of various protocols for antibiotic usage in endodontic infections.