Knowledge and Awareness of Systemic Antibiotic Therapy in Dentistry Among Final‐Year Dental Students and Dental Interns in Poland: A Multi‐Institutional Study

BACKGROUND/AIM: Dentists are responsible for a substantial proportion of antibiotic prescriptions, and antibiotic use contributes to selection pressure for antimicrobial resistance, while inappropriate use increases this burden without corresponding patient benefit. Adequate knowledge of antibiotic indications, prophylaxis and selection is therefore essential in dental education. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and awareness of final-year dental students and dental interns in Poland regarding systemic antibiotic therapy and antibiotic prophylaxis in dentistry. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A nationwide, multi-institutional cross-sectional survey was conducted among final-year dental students and dental interns from all 10 dental universities in Poland. A validated questionnaire assessed knowledge of indications for antibiotic prophylaxis in systemic conditions, indications for systemic antibiotic therapy in dental diseases, use of prophylaxis during dental procedures in immunocompromised patients, antibiotic selection in clinical scenarios and self-reported prescribing experiences. RESULTS: A total of 1144 respondents participated, including 801 students and 343 interns. Interns demonstrated significantly better adherence to guideline-based recommendations across most domains. Students more frequently indicated antibiotic use in conditions where it is not recommended, such as localised dental infections without systemic involvement and selected systemic diseases. Differences were also observed in antibiotic selection, with interns more often choosing guideline-recommended first-line agents. Interns reported more frequent antibiotic prescribing due to concerns about postoperative complications and diagnostic uncertainty. CONCLUSIONS: Although dental interns exhibited greater knowledge and selected guideline-concordant responses more frequently than final-year students, important gaps in understanding of evidence-based antibiotic use persist in both groups. These findings highlight the need for enhanced education and antimicrobial stewardship training in undergraduate and postgraduate dental curricula to promote rational antibiotic prescribing and combat antimicrobial resistance.