Opioid abuse continues to rise, coming to a peak in 2016. This tragedy has implications in the dental community: opioids are often used to treat dental pain, which opens up the possibility of abuse among dental patients. Thus, the American Dental Association (ADA) has taken an active approach to this problem and has made education and practical solutions the first line of defense. In fact, Dr. Sara Chung, Dr. William McCune, and Dr. John Micaletti of Creekside Dental stand behind educating their team on ways of preventing the misuse of opioids among dental patients in the treatment of dental pain while also preventing complications from abuse. The entire Buffalo Grove, IL, dental team is dedicated to keeping patients safe through considering caring, preventative solutions to reduce the risk opioid abuse.
Efforts from the ADA and CDC
Both the ADA and the CDC have been aggressive in their approach to solving this growing problem. The ADA has made free online training available to dentists for the past six years, and the CDC has recently issued a statement urging dentists to follow the appropriate guidelines when prescribing opioids for dental pain. Both organizations renewed a focus on patients who may be at risk for drug abuse. Dentists have been urged to use non-narcotic drugs in the treatment of dental pain when dealing with at-risk patients. Your Buffalo Grove, IL, dentists educate their teams on how to deal with this problem proactively and thoughtfully, and make sure to use the available solutions to help prevent the misuse of opioids.
Education and preventative measures need to be combined to help stamp out this problem in the dental community. Dentists and their teams, like at Creekside Dental, are doing everything in their powers to eliminate the dangerous misuse of opioids. Eliminating the use of opioids for at-risk patients and using non-narcotic painkillers has been one effective solution. Ongoing education has also been a part of the solution. The ADA, CDC, as well as your Creekside Dental team are committed to preventing opioid abuse.
