Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) – is a huge issue in modern medicine. According to some estimates, about 39 million people could die due to antibiotic resistance between 2024 and 2050 – more than expected from cancer by this period, according to Charlotta Edlund, professor of biology at the Public Health Agency of Sweden, in her comment for Dentistry IQ media.
This issue arises from the tendencies of antibiotic misuse and overuse in medicine in general. According to the World Dental Federation, dentists commonly prescribe antibiotics when such drugs are unnecessary, for example, to prevent the spread of infection in case of mild risk. In total, dentists contribute about 10% of antibiotic prescriptions in the world.
Still, the industry has effective antimicrobial approaches that can replace antibiotics in usual practice. DentistryIQ media collected expert opinions regarding this question, and in this review, we gathered the most exciting insights from their comprehensive article.
Roots of the Issue
According to Professor Edlund, one of the main causes of the AMR crisis is the lack of national recommendations for antibiotics in many countries around the world. In these examples, doctors don't know where antibiotics are required and simply may overuse them (for instance) to ensure their treatment is effective. Still, implementing such guidelines needs a vast amount of time and effort to integrate them adequately into medical education programs.
Ideally, Professor Edlund said, to prevent AMR from aggravating, dentists should focus on treating the particular infection cause and use antibiotics only as supportive measures.
Possible Solutions
Tommi Pätilä, a surgeon at the New Children's Hospital in Helsinki, Finland, supports limited antibiotic usage. In dentistry, for instance, doctors can use antibacterial photodynamic therapy (PDT) that uses light-activated photosensitizers that produce specific microbe species, damaging oral pathogens. Usually, this methodology is applied to treat periodontal infections; however, it may even be used for halitosis treatment.
Unlike antibiotics, it is very difficult for bacteria to resist the PDT approach. Moreover, this practice demonstrates effectiveness against antibiotic-resistant pathogens.
Also, PDT can potentially replace chemical antibacterial antiseptics like chlorhexidine. Despite its effectiveness, there are growing concerns regarding bacterial resistance. Thus, some research shows that Klebsiella pneumonia and Pseudomonas aeruginosa species may be immune to that chemical.
