Dentists nationwide are increasingly turning away from opioids as a form of pain relief for patients as the effectiveness of alternatives become more known, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Feb. 7.
Six things to know:
1. Dentists are among the top prescribers of opioids, responsible for an estimated 1 in 10 opioid prescriptions in the U.S., according to a February 2020 study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
2. The opioid crisis has led to dentists being more selective of pain relievers, with more opting for opioid alternatives amid growing evidence of their effectiveness.
3. According to a December study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, dental opioid prescriptions declined by about 41 percent from 2008 to 2018.
4. In 2019, the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine launched opioid-free pain management guidelines, in which dentists take into account severity, duration and individual risk when prescribing pain relievers to patients. Opioid prescriptions declined by 54 percent during the program's first year and another 48 percent in its second year.
5. The dental school said in December it would incorporate pain management practices into its curriculum to inform the next generation of dental professionals and prevent the misuse of medications.
6. James Boyle, DDS, told the newspaper there are other methods for patients to manage pain. For example, patients can take Advil or Motrin in preparation for a dental procedure to minimize pain. They can then take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce pain after the procedure.