Risk factors for oral infection and dry socket post-tooth extraction in medically complex patients in the absence of antibiotic prophylaxis: A case-control study.

INTRODUCTION: Dry socket and infection are complications of tooth extractions. The objective was to determine risk factors for post-extraction complications in patients without antibiotic prophylaxis stratified by early- and late-complications and complication type (oral infection and dry socket). METHODS: Retrospective, case (with complications)-control (without complications) study of patients (n = 708) who had ≥1 extraction performed at any Veterans Health Administration facility between 2015-2019 and were not prescribed an antibiotic 30 days pre-extraction. RESULTS: Early complication cases (n = 109) were more likely to be female [odds ratio (OR) = 2.06; 95% confidence interval (CI):1.05-4.01], younger (OR = 0.29; 95% CI:0.09-0.94 patients ≥ 80 years old, reference:18-44 years), Native American/Alaska Native (OR = 21.11; 95% CI:2.33-191.41) and have fewer teeth extracted (OR = 0.53 3+ teeth extracted; 95% CI:0.31-0.88, reference:1 tooth extracted). Late complication cases (n = 67) were more likely to have a bipolar diagnosis (OR = 2.98; 95% CI:1.04-8.57), history of implant placement (OR = 8.27; 95% CI:1.63-41.82), and history of past smoking (OR = 2.23; 95% CI:1.28-3.88). CONCLUSION: Predictors for post-extraction complications among patients who did not receive antibiotic prophylaxis were similar to prior work in cohorts who received prophylaxis. Unique factors identified in a medically complex population included being younger, Native American/Alaska Native, having mental health conditions, history of a dental implant, and fewer teeth extracted.

Effectiveness of fluorides in root caries prevention, Department of Veterans Affairs (2009-2018).

AIMS: The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of topical fluorides in prevention of root caries-related treatment in high caries risk Veterans. METHODS: This retrospective analysis of longitudinal data examined the effectiveness of professionally applied or prescription (Rx) fluoride treatment, in VHA clinics from FY 2009-2018. Professional fluoride treatments included 5% Sodium Fluoride (NaF) varnish (22 600 ppm fluoride), 2% NaF gel/rinse (9050 ppm fluoride), and 1.23% APF gel (12 300 ppm fluoride). The Rx for daily home use was 1.1% NaF paste/gel (5000 ppm fluoride). Outcomes studied were new root caries restorations or extractions and percent of patients with treatment over 1 year. Logistic regressions were adjusted for age, gender, race, ethnicity, chronic medical or psychiatric conditions, number of medication classes, anticholinergic drugs, smoking, baseline root caries treatment, preventive care, and time between first-last restoration in the index year. RESULTS: Root caries at baseline was associated with a high risk for new root caries. Veterans without root caries during the index year who received a fluoride gel/rinse intervention were 32-40% less likely to receive caries-related treatment for root caries during the follow-up period. Once Veterans had root caries, fluorides did not exhibit a positive effect. CONCLUSION: In older adults with high caries risk, early fluoride prevention is key, before root caries requires treatment.

Factors associated with dental implant loss/complications in the Veterans Health Administration, 2015-2019.

OBJECTIVES: Twelve percent of the U.S. population has a dental implant. Although rare, implant loss/complications can impact quality of life. This study evaluated indicators for implant loss/complications. METHODS: Veterans with dental implants placed between 2015 and 2019 were included. Implant loss/complications were defined as implant removal or peri-implant defect treatment within 90 days. Binomial logistic regression identified factors associated with implant loss/complications. RESULTS: From 2015 to 2019, 48,811 dental implants were placed in 38,246 Veterans. Implant loss/complications was identified for 202 (0.4%) implants. In adjusted analyses, Veterans aged 50-64 years (OR = 1.92 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.06, 3.46)) and ≥65 (OR = 2.01 (95% CI: 1.14, 3.53)) were more likely to have implant loss/complications. History of oral infection, tooth location, and number of implants placed all significantly increased the odds of loss/complications. CONCLUSION: Dental implant loss/complications are rare outcomes. Older age, location of implant, and the number of implants placed during a visit were significant predictors of loss/complication.

Effect of being overweight and obese on periodontal treatment costs.

BACKGROUND: Obesity can increase a person's risk of developing periodontal disease, and patients with obesity have greater health care costs. However, the effect of obesity on periodontal treatment costs has not been examined. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study used data from the electronic dental records of adult patients examined from July 1, 2010, through July 31, 2019 at a US dental school. Primary exposure was body mass index, which was categorized as obese, overweight, or normal. Periodontal disease was categorized using clinical probing measures. Fee schedules and procedure codes were used to compute the primary outcome, which was total periodontal treatment costs. A generalized linear model with gamma distribution was used to examine the relationship between body mass index and periodontal costs after controlling for initial periodontal disease severity and other confounding variables. Parameter coefficients and mean ratios with 95% CIs were estimated. RESULTS: The study sample included 3,443 adults, of whom 39% were normal weight, 37% were overweight, and 24% were obese. Mean (SD) total periodontal treatment costs for patients who were obese were considerably higher ($420 [$719]) than those for patients who were overweight ($402 [$761]) and patients who were normal weight ($268 [$601]). After controlling for covariates and disease severity, patients who were obese had 27% higher periodontal treatment costs than patients who were normal weight. The additional periodontal treatment costs attributable to obesity were greater than those attributable to either diabetes or smoking. CONCLUSIONS: The study results suggest that among patients at a dental school, those who were obese incurred substantially higher periodontal treatment costs than patients who were normal weight, independent of initial periodontal disease severity. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The study findings have important implications for clinical guidelines and dental benefit design and coverage policies.

Clostridioides difficile infection following dental antibiotic prescriptions in a cohort of US veterans.

Among 108 (0.05% of cohort) US veterans with a Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) within 30 days of a dental antibiotic prescription, 80% of patients received guideline-discordant antibiotics. Half had chronic gastrointestinal illness potentially exacerbating their CDI risk. More efforts are needed to improve antibiotic stewardship.

A qualitative exploration of dentists' opioid prescribing decisions within U.S. veterans affairs facilities.

ABSTRACT: The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is the largest integrated healthcare system in the United States and provides dental care to approximately one-half million veterans annually. In response to the opioid crisis, the VA released several opioid risk mitigation strategies. Although opioid prescribing by VA dentists has decreased on the whole, the implementation experiences at the level of dentists remains unclear. Our objective was to explore the barriers and facilitators that affect opioid decision making for management of acute dental pain among VA dentists. Dentists practicing in the VA facilities with the highest and lowest volume of opioid prescriptions were recruited. Standardized qualitative interviews by telephone followed a semistructured guide designed around the Capability (C), Opportunity (O), Motivation (M), and Behaviour (B) model. Audio recordings were transcribed and independently double-coded using NVivo to identify potential targets for future guideline-based opioid interventions. Of 395 eligible general and specialty dentists, 90 (24.8%) completed an interview representing 33 VA facilities. Opportunities for prescribing opioids included 1) completion of dental procedures associated with acute dental pain, 2) caring for patients who presented with existing dental pain, and 3) responding to patient opioid requests. Capabilities included using resources (eg, electronic medical records), clinical judgement (eg, evaluation of medical history including medication use), communication skills, and ability to screen for opioid misuse. Motivation themes focused on alleviating patients' acute dental pain. Barriers and facilitators of opioid prescribing varied across facilities. The results can offer intervention targets for continued opioid risk mitigation efforts.

The feasibility of academic detailing for acute oral pain management in outpatient dentistry: A pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Opioids are overprescribed in the outpatient dental setting. Therefore, opportunities exist for opioid stewardship. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this pilot study was to test the feasibility of an academic detailing (AD) intervention to promote appropriate prescribing of opioids in outpatient dentistry. METHODS: We implemented an AD intervention targeting management of acute oral pain in a Midwestern Veterans Affairs outpatient dental facility. The intervention targeted dentists who actively prescribed opioids at the time of the study. The pilot study tested feasibility, adoption, and acceptance of the AD campaign. Visit-based prescribing rates were obtained from the Veterans Health Administration's Corporate Data Warehouse for baseline and postintervention using difference-in-differences analyses to detect potential changes in health service outcomes. RESULTS: Results indicate moderate levels of feasibility through participation rates (n = 5, 55.5%) and high levels of organizational readiness for change (average of 88.6% agree to strongly agree). Furthermore, fidelity of the AD intervention was high. Adoption measures show moderate indication of motivation to change, and trends suggest that participating dentists decreased their visit-based opioid prescribing rates (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The intervention demonstrated feasibility with some indications of adoption of intervention techniques and decrease in opioid prescribing. We further recommend working closely with frontline providers to gather feedback and buy-in before scaling and implementing the AD campaign.

Opportunities for penicillin allergy evaluation in dental clinics.

Objective: To evaluate opportunities for assessing penicillin allergies among patients presenting to dental clinics. Design: Retrospective cross-sectional study. Setting: VA dental clinics. Patients: Adult patients with a documented penicillin allergy who received an antibiotic from a dentist between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2018, were included. Methods: Chart reviews were completed on random samples of 100 patients who received a noncephalosporin antibiotic and 200 patients who received a cephalosporin. Each allergy was categorized by severity. These categories were used to determine patient eligibility for 3 testing groups based on peer-reviewed algorithms: (1) no testing, (2) skin testing, and (3) oral test-dose challenge. Descriptive and bivariate statistics were used to compare facility and patient demographics first between true penicillin allergy, pseudo penicillin allergy, and missing allergy documentation, and between those who received a cephalosporin and those who did not at the dental visit. Results: Overall, 19% lacked documentation of the nature of allergic reaction, 53% were eligible for skin testing, 27% were eligible for an oral test-dose challenge, and 1% were contraindicated from testing. Male patients and African American patients were less likely to receive a cephalosporin. Conclusions: Most penicillin-allergic patients in the VA receiving an antibiotic from a dentist are eligible for penicillin skin testing or an oral penicillin challenge. Further research is needed to understand the role of dentists and dental clinics in assessing penicillin allergies.

A qualitative approach to examining antimicrobial prescribing in the outpatient dental setting.

Objective: To understand barriers and facilitators to evidence-based prescribing of antibiotics in the outpatient dental setting. Design: Semistructured interviews. Setting: Outpatient dental setting. Participants: Dentists from 40 Veterans' Health Administration (VA) facilities across the United States. Methods: Dentists were identified based on their prescribing patterns and were recruited to participate in a semistructured interview on perceptions toward prescribing. All interviews were recorded, transcribed, and double-coded for analysis, with high reliability between coders. We identified general trends using the theoretical domains framework and mapped overarching themes onto the behavior change wheel to identify prospective interventions that improve evidence-based prescribing. Results: In total, 90 dentists participated in our study. The following barriers and facilitators to evidence-based prescribing emerged as impacts on a dentist's decision making on prescribing an antibiotic: access to resources, social influence of peers and other care providers, clinical judgment, beliefs about consequences, local features of the clinic setting, and beliefs about capabilities. Conclusions: Findings from this work reveal the need to increase awareness of up-to-date antibiotic prescribing behaviors in dentistry and may inform the best antimicrobial stewardship interventions to support dentists' ongoing professional development and improve evidence-based prescribing.

Deep caries removal strategies: Findings from The National Dental Practice-Based Research Network.

BACKGROUND: The International Caries Consensus Collaboration (ICCC) has published recommendations on carious tissue removal to treat cavitated carious lesions in a manner that preserves hard tissue and retains teeth long term. This study quantifies The National Dental Practice-Based Research Network dentists' use of selective caries removal. METHODS: This cross-sectional questionnaire study assessed reported use of selective caries removal when treating deep caries in asymptomatic and symptomatic teeth in response to clinical case scenarios. Statistical methods included the proportion of respondents concordant with ICCC guidelines at various thresholds and logistic regression to model factors associated with concordance. RESULTS: A total of 500 dentists responded. The study sample was 57% male, mean (SD) age was 50.9 (12.6) years, and 60% worked in private practice settings. Higher levels of concordance for choosing selective caries removal 50% or greater of the time were found for asymptomatic (62.4%; 95% CI, 57.6 to 67.2) than for symptomatic caries (49.3%; 95% CI, 44.4 to 54.2). These differences were significantly associated with type of practice setting. CONCLUSIONS: The National Dental Practice-Based Research Network dentists reported using selective caries removal strategies when managing deep carious lesions more often than in previous US and Japanese practice-based research network studies and from results of a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nonetheless, substantive discordance with the ICCC guidelines was seen by the authors of this study. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: More dissemination and continuing education activities, as well as implementation studies, may further encourage use of selective caries removal to soft or firm dentin when indicated.

Providing Effective Dental Care for an Ageing Population.

BACKGROUND: Effective treatment produces improved outcomes from the patient and clinician perspectives. The focus of this article is effective dental care for ageing patients. This concept must be embraced through research, education and, finally, clinical care. RESEARCH: Older adults often carry a higher burden of health and socioeconomic issues that limit their participation in clinical trials. This leaves providers to extrapolate care decisions from research in other age groups. However, electronic health records allow researchers to converge extensive medical, pharmacologic, and dental data, thereby including older patients in research questions. EDUCATION: Dental and medical educators are tasked with teaching skills specific to ageing patients. This requires teaching and active use of concepts such as whole health and patient-centred outcomes. PROVISION OF CARE: For ageing patients, effective care is precision care (the right care to the right patient at the right time). Clinicians must be trained and then actively participate in the interdisciplinary approach to assure good oral health for all older patients.

High prescribing of antibiotics is associated with high prescribing of opioids in medical and dental providers.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: High prescribers of antibiotics and opioids are an important target for stewardship interventions. The goal of this study was to assess the association between high antibiotic and high opioid prescribing by provider type. DESIGN: A national cross-sectional study. SETTING: 2015-2017 Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) electronic health record data. POPULATION: Prescribers were identified as dentists (2017: n = 1346) and medical providers (physicians n = 23,072; advanced practice providers [APP] n = 7705; and other providers [pharmacists/chiropractors] n = 3674) (2017: n = 34,451). MEASUREMENTS: High prescribing was defined as being in the top 25% of visit-based rates of antibiotic or opioid prescribing (number of prescriptions/number of dental or medical visits). Multivariable random effects logistic regression with clustering by facility was used to assess the adjusted association between high antibiotic and opioid prescribing. RESULTS: Medical providers prescribed 4,348,670 antibiotic and 10,256,706 opioid prescriptions; dentists prescribed 277,170 antibiotic and 124,103 opioid prescriptions. Among all high prescribers of antibiotics, 40% were also high prescribers of opioids as compared to 18% of those who were not high antibiotic prescribers (p < 0.0001). High prescribing of antibiotics was associated with high prescribing of opioids in medical providers (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.87, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.72-3.04) and dentists (aOR = 8.40, 95% CI 6.00-11.76). Older provider age, specific US geographic regions, and lower VA facility complexity and rurality were also associated with high opioid prescribing by medical providers. In dentists, younger provider age, male gender, specific regions of the United States, and lower number of dentists in a facility were associated with high opioid prescribing. At the facility level, high dental prescribers of antibiotics or opioids were not at the same facilities as high medical prescribers, respectively (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: High antibiotic prescribing was associated with high opioid prescribing. Thus, stewardship interventions targeting both medication classes may have higher impact to efficiently reduce prescribing of medications with high public health impact. Provider-targeted interventions are needed to improve antibiotic and opioid prescribing in both dentists and medical providers.

Opioid Prescribing by Dentists in the Veterans Health Administration.

INTRODUCTION: Nonopioid analgesics are more effective for most oral pain, but data suggest that dental prescribing of opioids is excessive. This study evaluates the extent to which opioids exceed recommendations and the characteristics associated with opioid overprescribing by Veterans Health Administration dentists. METHODS: This was a national cross-sectional study of Veterans' dental visits from 2015 to 2018. Overprescribing was defined per national guidelines as >120 morphine milligram equivalents (primary outcome). The association of dental visit and patient demographic and medical characteristics was modeled with overprescribing (defined as >120 morphine milligram equivalents) using Poisson regression with clustering by facility and patient. A secondary analysis assessed opioid prescriptions >3 days' supply. The dates of analysis were January 2020‒May 2021. RESULTS: Of the 196,595 visits, 28.7% exceeded 120 morphine milligram equivalents. Friday visits and people with chronic oral pain or substance misuse were associated with a higher prevalence of overprescribing. Women, older Veterans, and Black and Latinx Veterans were less likely to be overprescribed than men, younger Veterans, and White Veterans, respectively. Routine dental visits had a higher prevalence of opioid overprescribing than invasive visits. Opioid overprescribing decreased over time. White Veterans were more likely to receive oxycodone and hydrocodone, whereas people of Black race and Latinx ethnicity were more likely to receive codeine and tramadol. In the secondary analysis, 68.5% of opioid prescriptions exceeded a 3-day supply. CONCLUSIONS: Nearly 1 in 3 opioids prescribed by Veterans Health Administration dentists exceed guidelines. Prescribing higher potency and quantities of opioids, especially on Fridays and to certain demographic groups, should be addressed as part of dental opioid stewardship programs.

Antibiotic prophylaxis prescriptions prior to dental visits in the Veterans' Health Administration (VHA), 2015-2019.

OBJECTIVE: To determine prophylaxis appropriateness by Veterans' Affairs (VA) dentists. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study of dental visits, 2015-2019. METHODS: Antibiotics within 7 days before a visit in the absence of an oral infection were included. Appropriate antibiotic prophylaxis was defined as visits with gingival manipulation and further delineated into narrow and broad definitions based on comorbidities. The primary analysis applied a narrow definition of appropriate prophylaxis: cardiac conditions at the highest risk of an adverse outcome from endocarditis. The secondary analysis included a broader definition: cardiac or immunocompromising condition or tooth extractions and/or implants. Multivariable log-linear Poisson generalized estimating equation regression was used to assess the association between covariates and unnecessary prophylaxis prescriptions. RESULTS: In total, 358,078 visits were associated with 369,102 antibiotics. The median prescription duration was 7 days (IQR, 7-10); only 6.5% were prescribed for 1 day. With the narrow definition, 15% of prophylaxis prescriptions were appropriate, which increased to 72% with the broader definition. Prophylaxis inconsistent with guidelines increased over time. For the narrow definition, Black (vs White) race, Latine (vs non-Latine) ethnicity, and visits located in the West census region were associated with unnecessary prophylaxis. Variables associated with a lower risk were older age, prosthetic joints, immunocompromising condition, and rural location. CONCLUSIONS: Of every 6 antibiotic prophylaxis prescriptions, 5 were inconsistent with guidelines. Improving prophylaxis appropriateness and shortening duration may have substantial implications for stewardship. Guidelines should state whether antibiotic prophylaxis is indicated for extractions, implants, and immunocompromised patients.

Outpatient Prescribing of Antibiotics and Opioids by Veterans Health Administration Providers, 2015-2017.

INTRODUCTION: Antibiotics and opioids are targeted by public health and stewardship communities for reductions in prescribing across the country. This study evaluates trends and factors associated with outpatient prescribing by dental and medical providers in a large integrated health system. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of national dental and medical outpatient visits from Department of Veterans Affairs facilities in 2015-2017; analyzed in 2019-2020. Antibiotic and opioid prescribing rates were assessed by provider and facility characteristics. Multivariable Poisson regression adjusted for repeated measures by the provider was used to assess the independent association between facility and provider characteristics and rate of prescribing. RESULTS: Over the study period, 4,625,840 antibiotic and 10,380,809 opioid prescriptions were identified for 115,625,890 visits. Physicians prescribed most antibiotics (67%). Dentists prescribed 6% of the antibiotics but had the highest per-visit antibiotic prescribing rate compared to medical providers (6.75 vs 3.90 prescriptions per 100 visits, p<0.0001), which was largely driven by dental specialists. By contrast, dentists had lower opioid prescribing than medical providers (3.02 vs 9.20 prescriptions per 100 visits, p<0.0001). Overall, antibiotic and opioid prescribing decreased over time, with opioids having the greatest decreases (-28.0%). In multivariable analyses, U.S. geographic region, rurality, and complexity were associated with prescribing for both drug classes. Opioid and antibiotic prescribing were positively correlated. CONCLUSIONS: Although antibiotic and opioid prescribing has decreased, there are still important target areas for improvement. Interventions need to be tailored to community characteristics such as rurality and provider type.

Validation of a Subjective Caries Risk Assessment Tool.

OBJECTIVE: The objective was to evaluate the predictive validity of the American Dental Association's caries risk assessment (CRA) tool, adapted with permission, and used by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs dental services within their electronic dental record. METHODS: This analytic epidemiologic study with a retrospective longitudinal design included Veterans who had a minimum of three years of available data. The primary outcome was caries-related treatment during the twelve-month predictive period following the CRA category identification. RESULTS: The sample included 57,675 Veterans; 50.1% classified as low, 33.2% as moderate and 16.8% as high caries risk. During the twelve-month predictive period, both teeth/person and teeth with caries-related treatment rose sequentially from low to high CRA categories. However, poor sensitivity (0.34-0.58) and better specificity (0.53-0.78) values were observed. Similarly, better negative predictive values (0.72-0.79) compared to positive predictive values (0.28-0.34) were found. Adjusted logistic regression models showed that current treated caries (caries detected at the time of the CRA exam) was more strongly associated with future caries-related treatment than the subjective CRA determination. CONCLUSIONS: The subjective CRA tool evaluated in this study is better at identifying patients at low risk of requiring future caries-related treatment versus those at higher risk. This makes it difficult to target the most caries susceptible patients with preventive measures. Furthermore, we found that the amount of caries treatment required at the time of the CRA exam had the strongest association with caries-related treatment during the subsequent twelve-month predictive period. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The amount of caries-related treatment required at the time of the caries risk classification is the strongest predictor of future caries.

Postextraction infection and antibiotic prescribing among veterans receiving dental extractions.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize postextraction antibiotic prescribing patterns, predictors for antibiotic prescribing and the incidence of and risk factors for postextraction oral infection. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of a random sample of veterans who received tooth extractions from January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2017. SETTING: VA dental clinics. PATIENTS: Overall, 69,610 patients met inclusion criteria, of whom 404 were randomly selected for inclusion. Adjunctive antibiotics were prescribed to 154 patients (38.1%). INTERVENTION: Patients who received or did not receive an antibiotic were compared for the occurrence of postextraction infection as documented in the electronic health record. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify factors associated with antibiotic receipt. RESULTS: There was no difference in the frequency of postextraction oral infection identified among patients who did and did not receive antibiotics (4.5% vs 3.2%; P = .59). Risk factors for postextraction infection could not be identified due to the low frequency of this outcome. Patients who received antibiotics were more likely to have a greater number of teeth extracted (aOR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.03-1.18), documentation of acute infection at time of extraction (aOR, 3.02; 95% CI, 1.57-5.82), molar extraction (aOR, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.10-2.86) and extraction performed by an oral maxillofacial surgeon (aOR, 2.29; 95% CI, 1.44-3.58) or specialty dentist (aOR, 5.77; 95% CI, 2.05-16.19). CONCLUSION: Infectious complications occurred at a low incidence among veterans undergoing tooth extraction who did and did not receive postextraction antibiotics. These results suggest that antibiotics have a limited role in preventing postprocedural infection; however, future studies are necessary to more clearly define the role of antibiotics for this indication.

Concordance of antibiotic prescribing with the American Dental Association acute oral infection guidelines within Veterans' Affairs (VA) dentistry.

OBJECTIVE: United States dentists prescribe 10% of all outpatient antibiotics. Assessing appropriateness of antibiotic prescribing has been challenging due to a lack of guidelines for oral infections. In 2019, the American Dental Association (ADA) published clinical practice guidelines (CPG) on the management of acute oral infections. Our objective was to describe baseline national antibiotic prescribing for acute oral infections prior to the release of the ADA CPG and to identify patient-level variables associated with an antibiotic prescription. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis. METHODS: We performed an analysis of national VA data from January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2017. We identified cases of acute oral infections using International Classification of Disease, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) codes. Antibiotics prescribed by a dentist within ±7 days of a visit were included. Multivariable logistic regression identified patient-level variables associated with an antibiotic prescription. RESULTS: Of the 470,039 VA dental visits with oral infections coded, 12% of patient visits with irreversible pulpitis, 17% with apical periodontitis, and 28% with acute apical abscess received antibiotics. Although the median days' supply was 7, prolonged use of antibiotics was frequent (≥8 days, 42%-49%). Patients with high-risk cardiac conditions, prosthetic joints, and endodontic, implant, and oral and maxillofacial surgery dental procedures were more likely to receive antibiotics. CONCLUSIONS: Most treatments of irreversible pulpitis and apical periodontitis cases were concordant with new ADA guidelines. However, in cases where antibiotics were prescribed, prolonged antibiotic courses >7 days were frequent. These findings demonstrate opportunities for the new ADA guidelines to standardize and improve dental prescribing practices.