ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Dent. Med.
Sec. Systems Integration
Volume 6 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fdmed.2025.1615805
This article is part of the Research TopicCoping with Antimicrobial Resistance in the Context of Dental MedicineView all 5 articles
| P a g e TRENDS IN ORAL ANALGESICS AND ANTIBIOTICS FOR DENTAL PAIN MANAGEMENT AT KOMFO ANOKYE TEACHING HOSPITAL: A ONE-YEAR RETROSPECTIVE STUDY
Provisionally accepted
Kwame Adu Okyere Boadu1,2*
Esther Priscilla Biamah Danquah2,3Kwaku Osei Amaniampong2,4Future Sozibeogu Yintii5- 1Sunyani Teaching Hospital, Sunyani, Ghana
- 2School of Dentistry, College of Health Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
- 3Kpone-Katamanso Municipal Health Directorate, Accra, Ghana
- 4Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Kumasi, Ghana
- 5DAKSA Dental Clinic, Kumasi, Ghana
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Background: Dental pain is a significant clinical challenge often requiring prompt and effective management through the prescription of oral analgesics and antibiotics. In the Oral Diagnosis Department at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), the patterns of prescribing these medications have exhibited changing trends, influenced by evidence-based guidelines, antimicrobial stewardship initiatives, and shifts in patient demographics. Knowing these trends is help in improving therapeutic approaches and ensuring patient safety. This study aimed to look into the trends in the prescription of oral analgesics and antibiotics at the Oral Diagnosis Department at KATH for the management of dental pain.A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted, analyzing patient records from January to December 2023 at the Oral Health Directorate, KATH. Data were collected on demographic characteristics, diagnoses, prescribed medications, and reasons for prescribing specific medications. A structured data extraction form was utilized to capture relevant information, and data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.Results: Impacted teeth were the most common diagnosis associated with dental pain, accounting for 1,550(24.6%) of the cases. The most frequently prescribed medications included Amoxicillin 2,205(35%) and Ibuprofen 1,890(30%). The analysis revealed a trend toward prescribing fewer medications overall, with 2,310(37%) of patients receiving two medications. Factors influencing prescribing decisions included diagnosis-specific considerations, efficacy, and cost, with the availability of drugs and the need to reduce inflammation being significant determinants.The prescribing practices at the Oral Diagnosis Department at KATH align with established guidelines, emphasizing the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics like Amoxicillin and effective analgesics such as Ibuprofen. The study highlights the need for standardized prescribing protocols and continuous education for practitioners to enhance treatment consistency and improve patient outcomes.
Keywords: Dental pain, Analgesics, antibiotics, Oral diagnosis, Prescription
Received: 04 Jun 2025; Accepted: 26 Jun 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Okyere Boadu, Danquah, Amaniampong and Sozibeogu Yintii. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Kwame Adu Okyere Boadu, Sunyani Teaching Hospital, Sunyani, Ghana
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