Patients' Opinions on Antibiotics in the Treatment of Dental Infections: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate patients' knowledge and perceptions of the use of systemic antibiotics in the treatment of endodontic infections and to determine the possible contribution of patients to the development of bacterial resistance. Methods: A total of 550 patients were asked to respond to a survey on the perception of systemic antibiotic use in the treatment of endodontic infections and antibiotic resistance during January 2022 and March 2023. A bivariate and multivariate analysis was performed to determine possible correlates in the population regarding antibiotic use in the endodontic world. Results: A total of 514 patients were included in the study, 65.9% of whom were women. While 34.6% of the population studied thought that it was always necessary to take antibiotics prior to endodontics, 49.4% considered that they were necessary after endodontics, regardless of the clinical symptoms. The prevalence of self-medication was 17.3%, and women self-medicate more than men, with significant differences (p < 0.05), although they have a greater knowledge of antibiotic resistance than men (p < 0.05). Forty-four percent of the population expected to take antibiotics when faced with dental pain, mainly women (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The general population is contributing to the serious problem of bacterial resistance. It is necessary to promote educational strategies focused on the correct use of antibiotics in the community. The worst results were found mainly in the population with a low level of education. The level of education was the variable that most influenced the knowledge and attitudes of the population, followed by the sex of the participants.

Antibiotics prescription habits of Spanish endodontists: Impact of the ESE awareness campaign and position statement.

BACKGROUND: The inadequate use of antibiotics by dentists can contribute to antibiotic resistance. The European Society of Endodontology (ESE) has published a scientific evidence-based position on antibiotic use in endodontic infec-tions. The aim of this study was to analyze the antibiotics prescription habits of Spanish endodontists in the management of endodontic infections, comparing them with those they had 10 years ago, to assess the impact of the ESE awareness campaign and position statement on antibiotics in endodontics. MATERIAL AND METHODS: One hundred Spanish endodontists were requested to answer to a one-page survey, similar to that used previously ten years ago in another study, on indications for systemic antibiotics in the management of endodontic infections. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square test. Seventy-seven endodontists (77%) completed satisfactorily the survey and were included in the study. RESULTS: The average duration of antibiotic therapy was 5.64 ± 1.75 days. In patients with no medical allergies, 97.1% selected amoxicillin as the first-choice antibiotic. The first drug of choice for patients with an allergy to penicillin, was clindamycin 300 mg (74.03%). For cases of pulp necrosis with asymptomatic apical periodontitis, fistulous tract and mild/symptomatic symptoms, 100% of endodontists would prescribe antibiotics. For the scenario of a pulp necrosis with symptomatic periodontitis apical and no swelling, 20% endodontists would prescribe antibiotics. CONCLUSIONS: Antibiotics prescription habits of Spanish endodontists has improved after the ESE awareness campaign and position statement on antibiotics in endodontics. Even so, there are a percentage of professionals that still prescribe antibiotics erro-neously. Key words:Antibiotic, antibiotics resistance, dentistry, endodontists, endodontics, prescription habits, primary care.

Antibiotics Prescription by Spanish General Practitioners in Primary Dental Care.

The aim of this study was to analyze the antibiotics prescription habits, both prophylactically and therapeutically, of Spanish general dental practitioners in the management of endodontic infections in primary care. Two hundred Spanish general dental practitioners were asked to respond to a survey on indications for antibiotics prescription in the treatment of endodontic infections, being 190 general dentists (95%) included in the study. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the chi-square test. The average duration of antibiotics therapy was 6.5 ± 1.0 days. In patients without medical allergies, most of them (97%) selected amoxicillin as the antibiotic of the first choice, alone (51.1%) or associated with clavulanic acid (45.8%); in patients with penicillin allergies, the drug of choice was clindamycin 300 mg (70%). For cases of symptomatic irreversible pulpitis, 44% of the respondents prescribed antibiotics, in the scenario of prophylactic antibiotic prescription, up to 27% of the general dentists prescribe according to non-current guidelines (1 g 1 h before or 1 g 1 h before and 1 g 1 h after) in non-indicated cases (16% in patients taking oral bisphosphonates). It is necessary to improve the antibiotic prescription habits of Spanish general dentists in endodontics.

Germinación de semillas de Ficus insipida (Moraceae) defecadas por tucanes (Ramphastos sulfuratus) y monos araña (Ateles geoffroyi) / Germination of Ficus insipida (Moraceae) seeds from toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus) and spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi) feces

To test the null hypothesis that two vertebrate fructivores, toucans (Ramphastos sulfuratus) and spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi), are equally specialized in germinating Ficus insipida seeds after these have passed through their digestive tracts, we fed fruits to captive individuals. We extracted seeds from feces and placed them on filter paper in petri dishes under controled light, temperature and humidity. Control seeds had not passed through a digestive tract. We found that a greater proportion of seeds from A. geofroyi (65%) germinated (R. sulfuratus: 4%). The germinative value was also greater in seeds from monkey feces (rate=13.76; toucan 0.046; control group 0.172). If, despite individual variability of seeds and dispersers, future studies continue to show that A. geoffroyi favors germination more (maybe because of a longer digestion time), this would indicate that diet specialization is not necessarily related to dispersal efficiency.

Con el objetivo de evaluar y comparar el efecto que tiene el paso de las semillas del higo Ficus insipida Willd (Moraceae), por el tracto digestivo de dos especies de vertebrados frugívoros, se ofrecieron frutos a individuos cautivos de tucán (Ramphastos sulfuratus: Ramphastidae) y de mono araña (Ateles geoffroyi: Cebidae), en la hipótesis de que siendo ambos frugívoros especialistas deberían favorecer de manera similar a la germinación de semillas de esta especie arbórea. De las heces se separaron las semillas y se pusieron a germinar en cajas petri en condiciones controladas de luz, temperatura y humedad, con una muestra de semillas testigo que no pasaron por el tracto digestivo de ningún animal. Se calculó la latencia, la capacidad y velocidad de geminación, y el valor germinativo de las semillas de cada grupo experimental. El 65% de las semillas de frutos de F. insipida consumidos por A. geofroyi germinaron con éxito, mientras que de las obtenidas de las heces de tucán, apenas el 4% logró germinar. El valor germinativo fue mayor en las semillas extraídas de excretas de mono (índice=13.76), en comparación con las de tucán (0.046) y las del grupo testigo (0.172). A. geoffroyi fue la especie que favoreció más la germinación de semillas de F. insipida, siendo probable que esta condición se relacione con el mayor tiempo de digestión de este primate. Deberá considerarse ambién la dificultad de establecer siempre concordancia con estos resultados, debido a la gran variabilidad en la capacidad germinativa de las semillas de individuos arbóreos, a la diferencia entre las cosechas y periodos de fructificación, así como en la madurez y estado fisiológico de los animales utilizados en las pruebas. Se concluye que la especialización alimentaria no necesariamente se relaciona con la efectividad de la calidad de la dispersión.

[Germination of Ficus insipida (Moraceae) seeds from toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus) and spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi) feces]. / Germinación de semillas de Ficus insipida (Moraceae) defecadas por tucanes (Ramphastos sulfuratus) y monos araña (Ateles geoffroyi).

To test the null hypothesis that two vertebrate fructivores, toucans (Ramphastos sulfuratus) and spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi), are equally specialized in germinating Ficus insipida seeds after these have passed through their digestive tracts, we fed fruits to captive individuals. We extracted seeds from feces and placed them on filter paper in petri dishes under controled light, temperature and humidity. Control seeds had not passed through a digestive tract. We found that a greater proportion of seeds from A. geofroyi (65%) germinated (R. sulfuratus: 4%). The germinative value was also greater in seeds from monkey feces (rate=13.76; toucan 0.046; control group 0.172). If, despite individual variability of seeds and dispersers, future studies continue to show that A. geoffroyi favors germination more (maybe because of a longer digestion time), this would indicate that diet specialization is not necessarily related to dispersal efficiency.