Abstract: Objective: To evaluate the prophylactic application of antibiotics in oral and maxillofacial surgery and to provide a scientific basis for its reasonable use. Methods:  The use of prophylactic antibiotics in the oral and maxillofacial surgery was conducted in our hospital from January 2011 to August 2013 based on a retrospective survey, and the conditions and affecting factors were analyzed. Results: The utilization rates of prophylactic antibiotics were respectively 98.9%, 61.8%, and 24.6%, showing a downward trend. But the infection rate of surgical site did not significantly increase, and by Fisher’s exact test, the difference was not significant (P>0.05). Surgical site infections (SSI) rates did not rise between using and not using prophylactic antibiotics (P>0.05). Conclusion: The use of prophylactic antibiotics is greatly influenced by the policy, and along with the decline in antibiotic usage, SSI have not increased significantly.

Key words: Surgery, oral, Anti-bacterial agents, Surgical wound infection