Dentists cut antibiotic prescriptions, but regional gaps persist

Dentists in Finland have prescribed fewer antibiotics since 2015, but rates still vary sharply between regions, according to a University of Eastern Finland study reported by Yle.

The researchers examined antibiotic use from 2012 to 2025, during which dentists issued nearly 3.2 million prescriptions. Prescriptions rose until 2015 and then began to fall. Excluding V-penicillin, the most commonly prescribed antibiotic, which stopped qualifying for reimbursement in 2020, prescribing fell by 16 per cent over the study period.

Adjusted for population, prescribing was highest in the regions of Satakunta, Kanta-Häme and Kymenlaakso, and lowest in Ostrobothnia and Åland. The difference between wellbeing services counties reached three to four times, said Jukka Leinonen, a clinical lecturer in dentistry who took part in the study.

Antibiotics may be prescribed in connection with oral surgery, including wisdom tooth removal. The researchers found that regional differences could not be explained solely by population health or the amount of dental care. Local treatment practices and differences in how guidelines are interpreted may also play a role, Leinonen said. He said the lower prescribing rates in Swedish-speaking regions might reflect closer ties with Sweden, but added that the reasons for higher rates in some regions need further study.

Prescriptions for clindamycin fell by 74 per cent during the study period. The antibiotic can cause severe diarrhoea that requires hospital treatment.

Reducing unnecessary antibiotic use is important to slow the spread of antibiotic resistance, a global health threat. Leinonen said more research is needed to identify when antibiotics are prescribed without benefit. International studies have found that dentists continue to prescribe them frequently during root canal treatment, even when patients do not benefit. Training, feedback on prescribing and clearer, more concise Finnish treatment guidelines could help reduce use, he said.