Alharbi Sarah R, Alzamil Lama, Alkudmani Zeina S, Alhani Amal, Faqih Layla, Aldawood Esraa
Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 145111, Riyadh 12372, Saudi Arabia.
Department of Public Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
Healthcare (Basel). 2025 Aug 11;13(16):1971. doi: 10.3390/healthcare13161971.
: Antibiotic resistance (AR) is a major public health concern, mainly driven by the misuse of antibiotics. Dental settings are one area where unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions and misconceptions among dental patients contribute significantly to antibiotic misuse. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and understanding of antibiotic use and AR among dental clinic visitors in Saudi Arabia. : A cross-sectional survey was conducted between March and June 2024, targeting males and females aged 18 years and older residing in Saudi Arabia who visited a dental clinic within the past five years. A self-administered questionnaire was used to assess participants' knowledge of antibiotic use and their awareness of AR. : A total of 1455 respondents from different regions of Saudi Arabia completed the survey. The majority of participants (70.1%) correctly identified that antibiotics kill bacteria, but around 30% incorrectly believed antibiotics treat viral infections. Additionally, 19.58% thought it was acceptable to stop taking antibiotics once they feel better. More than half of the participants thought that antibiotics reduce inflammation (69.10%) or relieve pain (52.40%). Nearly half of the participants (48.45%) were unaware of the term "antibiotic resistance (AR)," and only 27.2% identified antibiotic overuse as a cause of AR. A significant association was found between undergoing dental procedures and perceiving antibiotics as necessary ( < 0.0001). Educational level was the only significant predictor of AR awareness (AOR = 2.942; < 0.0001). : Although many participants correctly answered a knowledge question about antibiotics killing bacteria, several misconceptions about antibiotic use and a lack of awareness regarding AR were identified. These findings highlight the need for targeted educational interventions and enhanced antibiotic stewardship in dental practice to control AR.
抗生素耐药性（AR）是一个主要的公共卫生问题，主要由抗生素的滥用所致。牙科诊疗环境是一个存在不必要抗生素处方以及牙科患者存在误解的领域，这在很大程度上导致了抗生素的滥用。本研究旨在评估沙特阿拉伯牙科诊所就诊者对抗生素使用及抗生素耐药性的知识和理解。：于2024年3月至6月进行了一项横断面调查，目标人群为居住在沙特阿拉伯、年龄在18岁及以上、在过去五年内就诊过牙科诊所的男性和女性。采用自填式问卷评估参与者对抗生素使用的知识及其对抗生素耐药性的认识。：来自沙特阿拉伯不同地区的1455名受访者完成了调查。大多数参与者（70.1%）正确认识到抗生素能杀死细菌，但约30%的人错误地认为抗生素可治疗病毒感染。此外，19.58%的人认为一旦感觉好转就可以停止服用抗生素。超过一半的参与者认为抗生素可减轻炎症（69.10%）或缓解疼痛（52.40%）。近一半的参与者（48.45%）不了解“抗生素耐药性（AR）”一词，只有27.2%的人认为抗生素过度使用是抗生素耐药性的一个原因。在接受牙科治疗与认为有必要使用抗生素之间发现了显著关联（<0.0001）。教育水平是抗生素耐药性认识的唯一显著预测因素（调整后比值比=2.942；<0.0001）。：尽管许多参与者正确回答了关于抗生素杀死细菌的知识问题，但仍发现了一些关于抗生素使用的误解以及对抗生素耐药性缺乏认识的情况。这些发现凸显了在牙科实践中进行有针对性的教育干预和加强抗生素管理以控制抗生素耐药性的必要性。
