There has been an increase worldwide in microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites changing in ways that make the medications we use ineffective in curing the diseases they cause. This increasing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) means that diseases once well controlled with medications can now spread more easily to others at alarming cost to individuals and society. Dentistry is responsible for approximately 10% of the antibiotics prescribed worldwide. The limited surveillance information available about dental prescribing practices gives considerable cause for concern that far too many prescriptions are written that are not consistent with current clinical practice guidelines. It is essential that members of the dental team act as antimicrobial stewards to help combat the rise of AMR. Guidelines are available to inform dental clinicians on how to provide high-quality care without contributing unnecessarily to AMR.

Keywords: antibiotic resistance, antibiotic stewardship, antimicrobial resistance, antimicrobial stewardship, chlorhexidine, triclosan