ADA receives CDC grant to advance antibiotic stewardship, tissue graft safety in dentistry

Funding to support development of evidence-based guidance

The American Dental Association is leading a national effort to strengthen antibiotic stewardship in dentistry and develop tissue graft safety guidance through a newly awarded grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The ADA and the CDC’s Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion will work closely with experts in related fields through the five-year cooperative agreement on improving antibiotic prescribing and stewardship in dental settings and improving tissue safety in dentistry.

“Our commitment as oral healthcare professionals is to do no harm,” said ADA President Thomas Paumier, D.D.S. “Responsible antibiotic stewardship and a stronger understanding of the safe use of human tissue in dental procedures are critical to patient safety and public health.”

The cooperative agreement will support the development of evidence-based prescribing guidance, as well as resources to help dental practices use health information technology to strengthen antibiotic stewardship efforts. The ADA’s current clinical practice guidelines on antibiotic stewardship are available at ADA.org/guidelines.

An ADA clinical practice statement published in the October issue of The Journal of the American Dental Association calls for dentistry to move away from a “just-in-case approach” to antibiotic prescribing to an “evidence-based, when absolutely needed model.”

Funding will also support new guidance on the use of human tissue allografts, which are used in procedures such as periodontal regeneration, oral reconstruction and implant site development. While human tissue products can promote improved patient outcomes when used appropriately, it is important to consider tissue safety to reduce the risk of disease transmission, according to an ADA news release announcing the grant.

Through this effort, the ADA will develop evidence-based tissue graft safety guidance, along with recommendations for standardizing clinical documentation and informed consent, improving traceability of tissue graft products through health information technology, and educating dental professionals on their safe and effective use.

“Collaboration is essential to advancing public health and improving patient outcomes,” Dr. Paumier said. “By working with the CDC and experts across these fields, this cooperative agreement provides a pivotal opportunity to reduce the risk of resistance associated with antibiotic overuse and risk of infections associated with donor tissue procedures. The ADA looks forward to the work ahead.”

Additional information from the ADA on antibiotic stewardship in dentistry is available at ADA.org/antibiotics.