Dentists’ Knowledge, Antibiotic Prescribing Practices, and Guideline Adherence for Pediatric Patients in Türkiye: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Background/Objectives: Odontogenic infections are common in children, and dentists account for a considerable proportion of antibiotic prescriptions. Inappropriate prescribing contributes to antimicrobial resistance. This study aimed to evaluate the awareness and knowledge of dentists in Türkiye regarding antibiotic prescribing for pediatric patients and their adherence to current guidelines. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted between July and November 2022 among general dentists and dental specialists practicing in Türkiye. The questionnaire comprised demographic characteristics, prescribing attitudes and behaviors, and four clinical case scenarios. A 17-item knowledge score was calculated, and group differences were analyzed with the Mann–Whitney U and Kruskal–Wallis H tests (p < 0.05). Results: A total of 400 dentists participated, with a mean knowledge score of 11.63 ± 2.79. Based on the original scoring key, the proportions of participants providing concordant responses to all scored items in Cases 1–3 were 31.75%, 57.5%, and 57.25%, respectively. In the scenario requiring antibiotic selection, amoxicillin–clavulanic acid was the most frequently selected first-line antibiotic (72.25%), while azithromycin was the most frequently selected alternative for patients with penicillin allergy (45.75%). In Case 4, 84% of respondents selected facial cellulitis as an indication for antibiotic treatment. In unadjusted comparisons, knowledge scores were higher among women, dentists with 1–5 years of professional experience, specialists (particularly pediatric dentists), and those treating more than five pediatric patients daily. Self-reported weight-based dosing, questioning recent antibiotic use, informing parents about medication adherence, and familiarity with the term “antibiotic resistance” were also associated with higher knowledge scores. Conclusions: Responses to hypothetical clinical scenarios revealed variations in dentists’ knowledge and decision-making regarding antibiotic prescribing for pediatric patients, with inconsistent concordance with guideline recommendations. The original scoring criteria and vignettes present inherent clinical limitations when interpreting knowledge scores, as hypothetical scenarios cannot fully capture complex in-person diagnostic decisions. These findings highlight potential areas for improvement in guideline-based decision-making and support the need for targeted undergraduate and continuing professional education on rational antibiotic use. Further research evaluating actual prescribing practices is warranted.