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4 - Antimicrobials

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 February 2024

Leanne Teoh ,
Geraldine Moses  and
Michael McCullough
Leanne Teoh
Affiliation:
University of Melbourne
Geraldine Moses
Affiliation:
University of Queensland
Michael McCullough
Affiliation:
University of Melbourne
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Summary

An antimicrobial is defined as a drug that kills, prevents, or inhibits the growth of any type of microorganism (1). These drugs originate from a variety of sources, including microorganisms, plants, animals, and can be semi-synthetic or synthetic. Antimicrobials can be antibacterial, antimycobacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic and antiviral (2). Strictly speaking, the term ‘antibiotic’ refers to an agent produced by a microorganism that kills another microorganism; it does not include synthetic substances (3). However, this specific meaning is often not emphasised in clinical practice. Therefore, in this book, the terms antibacterial and antibiotic will be used interchangeably.

Keywords

dentistrydental therapeuticsantimicrobialsantibiotic use in dentistryantimicrobial resistanceantimicrobial stewardshipantibiotic prophylaxisbeta-lactam antibioticsmetronidazoleclindamycin
Type
Chapter
Information
Handbook of Dental Therapeutics , pp. 57 - 90
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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References

Further reading

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Thompson, W, Williams, D, Pulcini, C et al. FDI White Paper: The essential role of the dental team in reducing resistance. FDI World Dental Federation; 2020.Google Scholar

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