Antibiotic Exposure and Dental Health: A Systematic Review

Abstract

CONTEXT: The use of antibiotics in young children is widespread and may lead to adverse effects abstract on dental health, including staining, developmental defects, and dental caries. OBJECTIVE: To systematically review the effects of early childhood antibiotic exposure on dental health. DATA SOURCES: Medline (Ovid/PubMed), Embase (Ovid) and Cochrane databases. Study bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. STUDY SELECTION: English language articles that reported antibiotic exposure before 8 years of age and 1 or more of the relevant outcomes (dental caries, intrinsic tooth staining, or developmental defects of enamel) were included. DATA EXTRACTION: Data on study population, des..