Dental Stewardship Steering Group

Our multi-stakeholder group aims to reduce unnecessary use of antibiotics in dental infections and support appropriate choice and duration of treatment.

SAPG guidance

  • Following an extensive period of research and consultation the Scottish Antimicrobial Prescribing Group (SAPG) Committee and SAPG Dental Stewardship Steering Group (DSSG) members have approved guidance to promote the use of penicillin V in preference to amoxicillin for acute dental infections. This aligns with other SAPG work to use narrow spectrum agents wherever possible as a key action to tackle antimicrobial resistance

  • A systematic review on the use of metronidazole in the treatment of non-periodontal dental infections in general dental practice. Findings showed that it does not provide superior clinical outcomes (alone or in combination with a β-lactam) when compared with a β-lactam antibiotic alone.  

Education

  • A series of 4 videos based on the work of SAPG are available on TURAS | Learn. They provide up-to-date information on antimicrobial resistance, prescribing in dentistry and aims to improve clinical governance and antimicrobial stewardship.

  • A free e-learning course on Tackling Antibiotic Resistance: What Should Dental Teams Do for dentists and others interested in antibiotic use in dentistry is available on the Futurelearn site.

The course is supported by the British Society of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy and FDI World Dental Federation and led by Dr Wendy Thompson. It involves 1 hour of study per week for 3 weeks.

World AMR Awareness Week (WAAW)

  • Congratulations to Ruby Simpson, dental student with the winning design of the Glasgow Dental Hospital and School Antibiotic Guardian poster competition Antibiotics Don't Cure Toothache. This is available to use and promote message.