Wendy Thompson
Wendy Thompson is an NIHR Clinical Lecturer in Primary Dental Care at the University of Manchester. Her research is about the use of antibiotics in dentistry, with a focus on toothache and abscesses.
Location United Kingdom
Activity
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@WilliamDavis Thought you might like this editorial - I had a lecturer who used the same phrase, so I borrowed it for the title of this piece: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41415-022-5147-0
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An interesting observation. Education is certainly important, but to change prescribing behaviour takes more than just education. Exactly what’s needed changes from place to place. It might, for example, need enough time during urgent appointments too.
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@VictoriaMartin Hey - hope you enjoy it.
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@JoeyShepherd - we’ve just produced an online module aimed at UoManchester’s 3BDS undergrads. Happy to share the link if you’d find it useful. My email is wendy.thompson15@nhs.net
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Thank you!
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There are many side effects to antibiotics - I guess in some countries you might hear about some of them more than others. In the US, for example, the epidemiologists identified so clear a link between dental prescribing of clindamycin and the incidence of C diff in the community that they changed the dental antibiotic prescribing guidelines.
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You're welcome
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This is a real difficulty in many countries and is one of the differences between countries which make it hard to implement one international guideline. What are rates of resistance to amoxicillin like in Syria?
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Yes - it's a good point. As you will find in later modules of this course, different areas may need different guidelines due to different patterns of antibiotic resistance and access to dental procedures between countries.
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Glad you enjoyed it!
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Great that you've heard of it now - how will you celebrate it this year (18-24 November)?
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Now you know that it's in two week's time - how will you celebrate it?
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WAAW is in two weeks' time - do you have a plan for how you will celebrate it in your school? Maybe a feature in a newsletter? Or posters about the antibiotic guardian pledge?
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There is work through the FDI GARD early career researcher network to identify and compare guidelines around the world. Maybe you could get involved with that?
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This is a great idea - teaching older dentists new ways of working.
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Thank you - I look forward to reading that systematic review!
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A national campaign in Italy? There are other dentists interested in doing this too. There is an FDI Early Career Researcher network on antibiotics which they are a member of.
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Yes - and 50-80% of UK dentist's antibiotics are unnecessary! We have a long way to go yet.
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Great educator of your patients - this World Antimicrobial Awareness Week we are encouraged to Spread Awareness - Stop Resistance. You are doing this already - well done!
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Wendy Thompson replied to Bisma Ali
Absolutely - be confident that when someone really needs antibiotics you will prescribe them
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Sounds like resources to help clinicians explain AMR to patients might be helpful?
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Check out this paper - there is some comparison of guidelines in the discussion section: https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/A27AA596BD210E6185D101C00CFAAED9/S0899823X21000878a.pdf/patterns_of_dental_antibiotic_prescribing_in_2017_australia_england_united_states_and_british_columbia_canada.pdf
And this one too:...
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Thanks Anna!
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Well this was certainly the case before covid - but since the increase early in 2020, rates have been alow to reduce I’m afraid.
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Good luck! @AndrewKhazali
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My first degree was microbiology - and I started that as a general biology degree and then chose to specialise to micro part way through. Subjects often change when you get to uni, so having flexible options are really great.
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Good luck!
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Wendy Thompson replied to Bilal Idris
Good luck!
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Absolutely - this is the case for some. You might find this paper of some interest: https://academic.oup.com/ijpp/article/29/3/210/6227947?guestAccessKey=5624c2ee-c5eb-4931-8cd5-0f824d1d22e3
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Differences in the context for antibiotic prescribing between nations is so interesting.
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Unfortunately over the period of the covid pandemic, the reductions in the UK use of dental antibiotics has been reversed and is slow to reduce. You are right that more need to be done to educate the public, and there need to be consistent messages from all healthcare practitioners 'walking the walk' as well as 'talking the talk'.
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Wendy Thompson replied to Eleni Savva
Sorry - I don't know any dental nurse courses in Germany. If you'd like to come work in the UK then dental nursing is an apprenticeship so you'd study part time whilst working as a dental nurse.
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It's interesting to hear that sometimes a dentist's license gets cancelled due to inappropriate prescribing of antibiotics. That doesn't happen often - but it's good to hear that it does happen.
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This is a bit concerning as most people who think they have an allergy do not - and the secondary drugs are often less effective at treating the infection whilst also being better at leading to resistant infections - a double whammy!
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Thank you for sharing this useful study. Do you know whether they have used the results to develop local solutions?
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And this is why antibiotic resistance is higher in India than other countries. We all have a role to play in tackling antibiotic resistance. Hopefully this course will help you play yours.
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Restricted access to dentistry is a really important driver of antibiotic use which we all need to work hard to address. If someone's condition is bad enough that they might need antibiotics, then it's bad enough that they need to see a dentist for a procedure. I work in clinical practice in England and my antibiotic prescribing also increased during the...
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Wendy Thompson replied to Hima George
What a great use of your time - I hope you enjoy this course and find it useful.
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Wendy Thompson replied to William Rymer
Thank you. If you do twitter, follow me @wendythedentist and I can introduce you to antimicrobial stewardship experts in Ireland to look at how to move the dental AMS agenda with IDA.
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Absolutely - here is a paper you might like: https://academic.oup.com/ijpp/article/29/3/210/6227947?login=true However this is not the public attitude in all countries - for example in The Netherlands the culture is that people do not want antibiotics unless they absolutely need them. A big question is why the differences between countries which are so close...
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Hi William - there is an antimicrobial pharmacist in Dublin called Gerry Hughes who is really interested in dental antimicrobial stewardship. Happy to put you in contact with him if IDA would like to move this agenda forward. Wendy
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There is already a high rate of resistance to erythromycin and the WHO advises against its use in order to preserve it for cases in which it is essential. https://www.who.int/medicines/news/2019/WHO_releases2019AWaRe_classification_antibiotics/en/
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Our microbiome (the bacteria which live in and on our bodies) become resistant rather than the body itself. Sometimes these bacteria become unbalanced or invaded by more virulent bacteria which cause an infection. When these bacteria causing an infection are resistant to antibiotics, then they will block the medication.
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Yes - it's in progress. International organisations work slowly but steadily towards a goal. Bringing along all nations to commit to this agenda is so important. Now we need all dental organisations to come along too.
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Wendy Thompson replied to Riju John
Excellent - as a clinic owner you have a really important role in ensuring your team are all trained and using antimicrobials responsibly.
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@CésarOmarRamosGregorio My email is wendy.thompson15@nhs.net if you would like to email me about approaches in your country.
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Absolutely - getting top down commitment from the government and dental organisations is a really important element of efforts to optimise antibiotic use.
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Great insight Cesar - dentistry is certainly responsible for 10% of antibiotic prescribing - whether that translates to being responsible for 10% of antimicrobial resistance is another question. Do let me know if you would like to work on addressing the issue in your country.
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Wendy Thompson replied to Claire Harrison
Absolutely - there is a self-audit tool in the dental antimicrobial stewardship toolkit to which you might like to introduce the staff.
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That is understandable as you don't work in dentistry. You have clearly worked hard to think through the issue though and I bet you have gained some insight in the process. It is interesting to see how many factors relate between different clinical areas whereas some are relevant only to dentistry.
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Surveillance of resistant pathogens internationally is so important and highlights why different clinical guidelines are required in different parts of the world. Unfortunately there are currently no dental pathogens included in GLASS.
