Tackling Antibiotic Resistance: What Should Dental Teams Do?

Explore how dental teams can tackle the threat of global antibiotic resistance

Antibiotics are lifesaving drugs – when you need them, you need them to work. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a significant threat to health and wealth globally. Dental teams can do their bit by optimising the use of antibiotics.

On this course, you’ll identify ways in which those involved in dental practice can do their bit to tackle antibiotic resistance (ABR).

You’ll explore the worldwide issue of antibiotic resistance, discovering the impact of resistant infections on dentistry, and how collaboration within a dental team can be key to tackling AMR.

This course is for members of the dental team (clinical and non-clinical) and other healthcare professionals who deal with patients presenting with toothache/abscess.

This course is for members of the dental team (clinical and non-clinical) and other healthcare professionals who deal with patients presenting with toothache/abscess.

• Describe the global problem of antibiotic resistance (ABR)
• Summarise the impact of resistant infections on dentistry and of dentistry on ABR more generally
• Reflect on why ABR is a problem which affects everyone (including you, your friends and family)
• Explore the risks of both infections and antibiotics to patients
• Identify what you will do to help tackle ABR
• Explain the importance of local solutions to the global problem and understand that it is an issue for the whole dental team and beyond