Drug Prescribing Practices in Dental Care Patients at a Dental and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinic in Oman

Abstract

Objectives: We sought to assess medications prescribed to patients attending the Dental and Maxillofacial Surgery (DMS) clinic at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital (SQUH), Oman. Methods: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study covering a six-month period from January to June 2018 including a sample of patients attending the DMS clinic. Drug utilization data like drug name, type, administration route, dosage frequency, and anatomical and therapeutic class were assessed. Results: The study included 400 patients, of which 190 (47.5%) were males and 210 (52.5%) were females. A total of 88 different drugs were prescribed. Only 140 (35.0%) patients were prescribed drugs for their dental conditions or other comorbidities per visit, and the rest 260 (65.0%) were not prescribed any drugs. The dentists prescribed drugs only in 116 (29.0%) patients. The most common diagnosis was dental caries (n = 177, 44.3%) followed by chronic gingivitis (n = 15, 3.8%). The most common comorbidities in patients were anemia (n = 45, 11.3%) and diabetes (n = 21, 5.3%). The most common drugs prescribed were chlorhexidine mouthwash (n = 43, 37.1%) and paracetamol (n = 36, 31.0%) followed by ibuprofen (n = 10, 8.6%) and amoxicillin/clavulanate (n = 5, 4.3%). Conclusions: Drugs prescribing pattern was within the international norms. Sixty-five percent of the patients were not prescribed any drug by the dentist. Oral antiseptics, analgesics, and antibiotics were the most common drugs prescribed by dentists.

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“…The commonest therapeutic class of drug prescribed as monotherapy to the patients for pain and inflammation was NSAIDs followed by antimicrobials for surgical site and post-operative bacterial infections 21,6 . The most common NSAIDs and antimicrobials prescribed were diclofenac and amoxicillin, respectively 12,14,22,23 in the present study, whereas chlorhexidine mouthwash and paracetamol followed by ibuprofen and amoxicillin/clavulanate were the commonest drugs reported from the study conducted in Oman 19 . Most drugs were prescribed either in tablet or capsule dosage forms for 3 to 5 days treatment with twice to thrice daily administration 22,23 .…”

“…More female patients with dental problems in the present study could be due to their different salivary composition and flow rate; hormonal fluctuations; gender-based dietary habits; genetic makeup; reproductive history, and social life 18 . Gingivitis was the most common dental problem among the patients, followed by dental carries, edentulous and periodontitis, reflecting the relatively high prevalence of gingivitis disease in the local community, similar to the prevalence of gingivitis in developing countries 19,20,4 . Gingivitis is a non-destructive type of periodontal disease, if left untreated, may progress to periodontitis.…”

Evaluation of the Knowledge and Practices About Drug Prescribing and Adverse Reaction Reporting Among Turkish Dentists

“…Dentists typically prescribe medications to alleviate pain and/ or combat infection (3). Dentists treat any condition that affects oral health by making specialized clinical decisions that combine surgical/operative interventions and medications (4).…”

“…Dentists treat any condition that affects oral health by making specialized clinical decisions that combine surgical/operative interventions and medications (4). They play a crucial role in delivering high-quality dental care and individualized high-quality medication use (3,4). As a result, to choose the best treatment choice for each patient, dentists must constantly advance their understanding of medications, including side effects, contraindications, and interactions (2)(3)(4).…”

“…They play a crucial role in delivering high-quality dental care and individualized high-quality medication use (3,4). As a result, to choose the best treatment choice for each patient, dentists must constantly advance their understanding of medications, including side effects, contraindications, and interactions (2)(3)(4).…”