Original Research Article Prevalence of pharmacotherapy in the department of paediatric dentistry

Abstract

Background: Pharmacotherapy plays important role in the management of paediatric dental patients in the department of paediatric dentistry. Many children at their early age suffer from different kinds of dental conditions such as acute and chronic irreversible pulpitis, acute and chronic alveolar abscesses, dentoalveolar and vestibular abscesses, etc along with physiological tooth movement that requires professional help for dental treatment. Treatment of such conditions most frequently requires pharmacotherapy as an either adjunct to dental therapeutic procedure or as a monotherapy. Objective: To assess the prescribing patterns vis-a-vis generic or trade name, generic class, dosage form, route, frequency, duration, number of drugs per patient, cost and indication of drug therapy, patterns of dental treatment and Frankl’s behavioral rating. Materials and methods: Prescriptions of 200 paediatric dental patients undergoing dental treatment in the department of paediatric dentistry were analyzed prospectively for a period of six months in a dental teaching hospital. Results: 133 (56.5%) patients were males and 87 (43.5%) females and age group 6-10 years was the most frequent group (70%, P=0.0000000) and all the patients received pharmacotherapy. Total numbers of 357 drugs were prescribed. Out of them, 212 (59.4%, P=0.0000008) were analgesic agents, 133 (37.3%) antimicrobial agents (AMAs) and 12 (3.3%) other drugs. Extended spectrum Penicllins were the most commonly prescribed (90.2%) AMA followed by Metronidazol