The FDI World Dental Federation has released a new white paper about antibiotic resistance to mark the World Health Organization's (WHO) World Antimicrobial Awareness Week.
The WHO and FDI have called antibiotic resistance a global public health problem that must be addressed, and World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, which ends on November 24, aims to shine a light on this problem.
The white paper acknowledges that dentists worldwide must be recognized for their role in preventing and treating dental infections, as well as empowered to optimize their antibiotic prescribing.
The release of the white paper comes on the heels of a new study that revealed a spike in antibiotic prescriptions in England during COVID-19 lockdowns. Antibiotic prescriptions written by dentists in England rose by 25%, Dr. Wendy Thompson and colleagues found (British Dental Journal, November 13, 2020).
