Episode Details

Dentists prescribe about 10% of all antibiotics in the U.S., but research shows that a large share may be unnecessary. In this episode: the grave public health risks of inappropriate antibiotic use, how this can be curbed, and the questions you should ask next time you're in the dentist's chair.

Liz Szabo, MA, is an investigative health reporter with CIDRAP News.

Dr. Josh Sharfstein is distinguished professor of the practice in Health Policy and Management, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department.

• Antibiotic Aftershocks—CIDRAP News

• Evidence-based clinical practice guideline on antibiotic use for the urgent management of pulpal- and periapical-related dental pain and intraoral swelling—JADA

• Assessment of the Appropriateness of Antibiotic Prescriptions for Infection Prophylaxis Before Dental Procedures, 2011 to 2015—JAMA

• A Second, Silent Pandemic: Antibiotic Resistance—Global Health Now

Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel.