Oral Bacteria and their Resistance to Antibiotics: Meta-Analysis

Purpose: Bacterial infections are among the most common and significant forms of infectious diseases and pose the greatest threat to the human population in today's day and age. The rapid emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is the main cause of this widespread. The overuse and misuse of antibiotics have significantly contributed to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. To evaluate the efficacy of antibiotics and their effect on bacteria, it is necessary to conduct clinical, biological, and histological research. The aim of this paper is to investigate the spread of bacterial strains in dental prostheses and removable orthodontic appliances and evaluate their resistance to different antibiotics. 
Materials and Methods: 100 swab samples were collected from male and female patients who were either wearing removable dental prostheses or removable orthodontic appliances from various dental clinics in the Zawia district, Libya. Microbiological culture was conducted to identify bacterial strains, and sensitivity tests were carried out on a broad range of antibiotics. 
Results: After evaluating and testing a wide spectrum of antibiotics, the results demonstrated that the majority of bacterial strains are resistant to the prescribed antibiotics by dental practitioners. 
Conclusion: Due to the misuse of antibiotics by healthcare providers, oral bacterial species have developed resistance to most prescribed antibiotics. This poses a significant concern regarding the effectiveness of dental procedures and treatment protocols. Therefore, it is crucial to conduct high-quality randomized clinical trials and meta-analyses to evaluate the effectiveness of antibiotics against oral bacteria. Additionally, these studies can help in assessing and updating the guidelines for prescribing antibiotics by dental practitioners and healthcare providers. (Open J Biomed Res 2024;3:9-14)