Abstract
A survey was conducted to investigate antibiotics prescribed for preventing infection between 1992 and 1998 in the outpatient clinic of the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at Iwate Medical University. It was found that antibiotics had been prescribed to children having undergone minor surgery, children with trauma, and children with heart disease who underwent tooth treatment. Children aged 6 to 7 years comprised the largest group of children who received antibiotic prescription. Antibiotics were given to a number of children aged over 8 years until 1995, while more than twice that number of children under 5 years were administered antibiotics than children over 8 years after 1996. With time, macrolides such as Rokitamycin and Clarithromycin became less prescribed while cephalosporins such as Cefdinir became used more widely. In children with heart disease and no allergy, Amoxycillin is still the first choice. In some cases (except for heart disease), the duration of administration has been changed from three days to two days.
