Antimicrobial resistance is currently one of the greatest challenges to health. Resistant bacterial infections affect clinical and therapeutic outcomes in patients, resulting in increased mortality, morbidity, prolonged hospitalization and higher treatment costs. It is expected to be the leading cause of death by 2050. Carbon nanomaterials have great potential in the treatment of bacterial antimicrobial resistance, with quantum dots being the most promising. Carbon quantum dots (CQD) have excellent properties such as low toxicity, high biocompatibility and solubility in physiological fluids. Raw materials for their synthesis are diverse, environmentally friendly and easily available. They can have antibacterial effects in several ways, the most important of which is the production of reactive oxygen species and the resulting damage to bacterial cell wall and metabolism. To overcome the limitations in terms of their agglomeration and poor stability, CQD can be conjugated with various materials such as semiconductors and metals, leading to the formation of conjugates with stronger and wider antibacterial activity and weaker resistance development. CQD can also be conjugated with antibiotics and enhance their activity. In the future, the synthesis of new and more effective quantum dots is expected, which should find application in clinical practice.