Elevated Risk for Opioid Abuse from Dental Prescriptions in Teens and Young Adults

Dental procedures are a common source of first-time opioid exposure that can lead to further use and abuse.

Dental clinicians are a leading prescriber of opioids to children, often within the context of third molar extractions. Among generally healthy U.S. individuals aged 16 to 25 years enrolled in a private insurance plan, 30% of opioid prescriptions originated from dental clinicians. Using the same dataset, investigators further assessed the risk for continued opioid use and treatment for opioid abuse among nearly 15,000 patients who filled a dental opioid prescription compared with nearly 30,000 matched non–opioid-exposed controls. Results were as follows:

Receipt of a second opioid prescription 90 to 365 days following the initial prescription occurred in 6.9% of the opioid prescription recipients compared with 0.1% of non–opioid-exposed cont…

Reviewing Author

F. Bruder Stapleton, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardCareer Physician

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican Society of Pediatric Nephrology Foundation (Chair)

F. Bruder Stapleton, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardCareer Physician

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican Society of Pediatric Nephrology Foundation (Chair)

Elevated Risk for Opioid Abuse from Dental Prescriptions in Teens and Young Adults

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Reviewing Author