Over promotion and over prescribing of opioids has contributed to the current public health emergency we face in the U.S. Dentists write less than 6% of acute use opioid prescriptions but generally prescribe very few tablets per prescription. To what extent are we contributing to the development of opioid Substance Use Disorders and how can we modify our prescribing behaviors to minimize patient risk? We will outline specific strategies designed to identify the safety of prescribing opioids based on individual patient characteristics. Patient education on safe pain relief will also be reviewed. Extensive and very current handouts will be provided to maximize the chairside value of this vitally important information.
Learning Objectives:
Discuss the extent of the opioid abuse problem in the U.S. and in the Pacific Northwest.
Delineate the role of the dentist in contributing to the current public health crisis.
Explain the relative pain relief effectiveness of non-opioid and opioid agents in acute pain.
Discuss the benefits and risks of specific pain control regimens for effective dental analgesia.
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