Penicillin Allergy and Management in the Dental Setting: A Scoping Review.

Penicillins are important beta-lactam antibiotics that are frequently used in dentistry. Many odontogenic infections are sensitive to penicillin. An allergic reaction to penicillin is an undesirable and life-threatening response mounted by the immune system. Penicillin allergies can be either Type I Anaphylactic reactions or Type IV Delayed reactions. Concerns regarding penicillin allergy over-reporting and the prescribing of potentially less effective yet more expensive alternatives have been topics of discussion in recent years. This article aims to provide a comprehensive review of the literature on penicillin allergy epidemiology, risk stratification, clinical manifestations, tests needed for allergy confirmation, allergic reaction management, antibiotic stewardship, and alternative medications to use in penicillin-allergic patients.