Abstract / Summary
ABSTRACT Background and Aims Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a significant threat to global health, particularly in pediatric dentistry, where inappropriate antibiotic prescribing can exacerbate the issue. This study aimed to assess the antibiotic prescribing practices, knowledge, and attitudes of dentists in Bangladesh toward the management of childhood dental infections and to identify factors influencing these practices. Methods A cross‐sectional study was conducted among 400 Bangladesh Medical & Dental Council (BMDC) licensed dentists with experience treating paediatric dental patients, recruited from public and private dental institutions across all eight administrative divisions of Bangladesh between December 2024 and April 2025. Dentists were identified purposively through interviewers’ institutional access, supplemented by referral. Data were collected through face‐to‐face, interviewer‐administered questionnaires covering demographics, prescribing behaviours, and knowledge and attitudes related to AMR. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed using STATA 18, with p‐values < 0.05 considered statistically significant. Results A total of 92.75% of dentists reported prescribing antibiotics to paediatric patients, with oral formulations predominant (99.75%). Amoxicillin, azithromycin, and clindamycin were the antibiotics most commonly prescribed. Antibiotics were prescribed primarily to prevent infection spread (87.75%) and to improve treatment outcomes (70.25%). Most dentists (88.25%) recognised AMR as a critical concern, and most answered individual knowledge items correctly, including correctly disagreeing that all antibiotics are active against all bacteria (67.25%). Dentists with less than 5 years of experience showed more favourable attitudes toward prescribing than more experienced dentists (p < 0.001), though this association did not remain significant after adjustment. Dentists at private institutions showed significantly higher knowledge scores than those at public institutions (p = 0.002). Conclusion Dentists in Bangladesh report frequent antibiotic use for paediatric dental infections, often without confirmed alignment to clinical guidelines. Awareness of AMR is high, but this awareness does not consistently translate into cautious prescribing. Structured antibiotic stewardship guidance for paediatric dental practice is needed.