The first national survey of antimicrobial use among dentists in Japan from 2015 to 2017 based on the national database of health insurance claims and specific health checkups of Japan.

Interventions that target dentists in Japan should focus on on-site dispensing of oral antimicrobials (especially cephalosporins) for outpatients. Further studies are needed to ascertain the underlying factors of oral cephalosporin prescriptions to guide the development of effective antimicrobial stewardship programs.