Who should you ask to prescribe your endodontic patient antibiotics if needed?

• A. Family doctor
• B. Endodontic faculty member or resident
• C. Pharmacist
• D. Dentist in private practice

Answer: (B)

Antibiotics in endodontic care are decisions that should come from the clinician who is supervising and performing the endodontic treatment. In a teaching or university setting, that responsibility sits with the endodontic faculty member or resident who oversees the case. They have the patient’s full dental and medical context, can judge whether antibiotics are actually indicated, and can select the appropriate antibiotic, dose, and duration to fit the planned procedure and the infection’s status. The goal is to use antibiotics only when truly needed and to tailor the plan to the individual patient, which is best done by the endodontic supervisor overseeing the case. A family doctor or a private general dentist might prescribe in other contexts, but in this endodontic care setting the supervising endodontist or resident is the appropriate prescriber. Pharmacists dispense or advise on drug interactions but do not determine the need for antibiotics.