A randomized pilot program to reduce opioid use following dental surgery and increase safe medication return

Area of Science:

• Dental Surgery
• Pain Management
• Public Health

Background:

• Opioid prescriptions are linked to long-term use, with dentists being high prescribers.
• Dental practices are key sites for interventions to curb opioid misuse.
• Understanding the impact of cumulative opioid exposure is crucial for prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of an opioid misuse prevention program (OMPP) in reducing opioid consumption after dental extraction surgery.
• To compare the OMPP intervention against a Treatment as Usual (TAU) control group.

Main Methods:

• A randomized clinical trial was conducted with 76 participants eligible for opioid medication.
• The OMPP group received a 10-minute educational counseling session and a 28-day supply of ibuprofen and acetaminophen.
• Follow-up assessments were conducted one week post-surgery.

Main Results:

• Intent-to-treat analysis (N=72) showed a non-significant trend (p=0.0835) where the OMPP group reported lower MMEs (37.94) than the TAU group (47.79).
• Sensitivity analysis excluding surgical complications (N=66) revealed a significant reduction in MMEs for the OMPP group (29.74 vs. 43.59, p=0.0259).
• The OMPP demonstrated a moderate effect size (d=0.42 to 0.56) in reducing self-reported opioid use.

Conclusions:

• A brief OMPP, including education and non-narcotic analgesics, shows promise in reducing opioid medication use following dental surgery.
• Targeted interventions in dental settings can effectively mitigate opioid consumption and potentially prevent long-term opioid dependence.
• Further research with larger sample sizes may confirm the significant impact of such preventive strategies.