skip to main content

Dental Antibiotic Prescribing — MFDS Part 1 MCQ

Instant feedback + full explanation. One question, done properly.

ModeratePharmacologyDental Antibiotic PrescribingMFDS Part 1

A medically fit 42-year-old presents with an acute dentoalveolar infection with spreading buccal swelling, tender cervical nodes and a temperature of 38.2 °C. You have drained the abscess and removed the cause. She is not allergic to penicillin, takes no regular medication and is not pregnant. According to current SDCEP Drug Prescribing For Dentistry guidance, which oral antibiotic regimen is the preferred first choice?

Educational content. Not a substitute for clinical judgement or local policy.

Reveal the answer and explanation

Correct answer: A — Phenoxymethylpenicillin 500 mg four times daily for 5 days

Explanation lettering: B = shown as A · C = shown as B · A = shown as C

Antibiotics are adjunctive: local measures come first, but spreading swelling, lymphadenopathy and fever justify prescribing here. Current SDCEP guidance prefers phenoxymethylpenicillin 500 mg four times daily for 5 days as first choice for dento-alveolar infection in a non-allergic adult, because its narrower spectrum is less likely to drive resistance. Amoxicillin (A) remains effective and better absorbed, and was first choice in older editions, but is no longer the preferred agent — it is the classic outdated answer. Co-amoxiclav (C) is unnecessarily broad-spectrum for initial treatment and is reserved for non-response or severe/spreading infection on specialist advice. Clarithromycin (D) is an alternative when penicillin cannot be used, and interacts with several drugs. Clindamycin (E) is not routine first line and carries a notable risk of Clostridioides difficile colitis.

Reference: Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme. Drug Prescribing For Dentistry (3rd edition, update) — antibiotic prescribing: phenoxymethylpenicillin preferred first choice for dento-alveolar infections, 2021. https://www.sdcep.org.uk/news/update-to-drug-prescribing-guidance-now-available/