Dental Infection — ORE Part 1 MCQ
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Correct answer: A — Amoxicillin 500 mg three times daily for 5 days
Explanation lettering: D = shown as C · E = shown as D · C = shown as E
The correct answer is A: amoxicillin 500 mg three times daily for 5 days. This is the standard adult dose for dental infection per SDCEP guidance and is the most commonly prescribed regimen by UK dentists. The 500 mg three-times-daily dose (total 1.5 g/day) provides therapeutic coverage against the typical Gram-positive anaerobes responsible for odontogenic infection. Five days is the standard duration, balancing efficacy with antimicrobial stewardship. Options B and C are substandard: B uses an inadequate dose (250 mg) with extended duration; C uses excessive single dosing (1 g) inappropriate for standard infections. Option D reduces the frequency to twice-daily, which is subtherapeutic compared to the recommended three-times-daily schedule. Option E correctly identifies dose and frequency but unnecessarily extends treatment to 7 days, increasing resistance risk without additional clinical benefit.
Reference: Royal College of Surgeons of England (2023). Antibiotic prescription practices among dentists treating children in the UK. Faculty Dental Journal. https://publishing.rcseng.ac.uk/doi/full/10.1308/rcsfdj.2023.22; Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme (SDCEP). Drug Prescribing for Dentistry. https://www.sdcep.org.uk/published-guidance/drug-prescribing/