Opioid prescribing and misuse among dental patients in the US: a literature-based review

Although health care practitioners have become more cognizant of the hazards of opioid use, opioid misuse has emerged as a leading public health problem in the United States, accounting for 20% of all deaths among older adolescents and young adults. Opioid analgesics are an important component of dental pain management following dental procedures. The aim of this study was to assess the status of literature on dental opioid prescriptions, their misuse, and relevant prevention strategies in the US.

A keyword search of MEDLINE, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CINAHL (EBSCO), and Web of Science was conducted in July 2018. The search criteria were carefully selected to include all practitioners treating patients presenting with dental issues and was not restricted to dentists. All peer-reviewed publications in the US written in English about patients with dental problems were included.

The initial search led to 267 publications; after removing duplicates, the set consolidated to 196. After an appraisal of the title and abstract for relatedness, 82 publications were selected. Three major themes were identified: epidemiology of dental opioid prescriptions; recognition of the dental providers' contribution to opioid prescription practice; pain management protocols and guidelines in dentistry.

There is moderate recognition of the contribution of dental prescriptions to the opioid epidemic. Several tools are available to increase patient education and practitioner knowledge about the safe use of opioids with a focus on patients at greatest risk.