Antibiotic Stewardship in Dental Procedures the Role of Family Medicine, Clinical Pharmacy, and Health Administration

The escalating global crisis of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) demands urgent action across all medical disciplines, including dentistry. Dental practitioners are significant contributors to outpatient antibiotic consumption, with current prescribing patterns revealing substantial overuse and misuse for conditions such as irreversible pulpitis and apical abscesses where the primary treatment should be mechanical intervention. This comprehensive research paper argues that optimizing antibiotic use in dental procedures necessitates a fundamental shift from isolated decision-making to a robust, interprofessional collaborative model. The proposed framework integrates the unique and synergistic roles of four key pillars: Dentistry, as the primary diagnostician and proceduralist; Family Medicine, providing holistic patient context and coordinating complex medical needs; Clinical Pharmacy, offering expertise in pharmacotherapy, safety, and patient counseling; and Health Administration, building the essential infrastructure of policy, technology, and feedback mechanisms. By synthesizing current evidence, this paper demonstrates that only through this coordinated, systems-based approach can antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) principles be effectively implemented, sustained, and scaled. The conclusion underscores that such collaboration is not merely beneficial but essential for preserving antibiotic efficacy, enhancing patient safety, and safeguarding public health for future generations.