A Collaborative Research Project to Reduce Opioid Use by Dental Providers in Managing Dental Pain

The University of Pittsburgh, School of Dental Medicine, with the ADA Science & Research Institute received a three-year grant from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to develop an evidence-based clinical practice guideline for the management of acute dental pain. The ADA used a national guideline panel to develop the guideline. During citizen forums, participants shared values/preferences about management of acute dental pain. Existing empirical evidence about the effectiveness of various medications for managing acute dental pain was summarized in meta-analyses. ASTDD and state dental directors provided dental public health expertise to the team and helped develop and deploy dissemination and implementation strategies; separate from the project ASTDD produced a Policy Statement. A free Continuing Education course on using the guideline was piloted in five intervention states, with five control states. The team produced several journal articles to promote the guideline. Recommendations will be presented.