Study Examines Patterns of Opioid Prescribing

A study published in the Journal of the American Dental Association has found adolescents and young adults were prescribed more opioids after dental procedures in an Appalachian college of dentistry than older patients.

According to the study, investigators led a secondary analysis of a data set of opioid prescriptions issued from 2013 to 2018 from a college on dentistry in central Appalachia. After analyzing 12,464 opioid prescriptions, researchers report 70% were written after extractions or surgical procedures, with 57.3% (more than half) written for adolescents and young adults (patients younger than age 45). Adolescent and young adult patients received prescriptions of high quantities and of longer duration than other groups, according to researchers. 

The authors note the findings are “concerning given the high risk associated with opioid exposure. Faculty should educate dental students and residents on the risks and benefits of opioid therapy, as well as alternative analgesics and via exemplifying appropriate prescribing behavior.”

The study, “Patterns of Opioid Prescribing in an Appalachian College of Dentistry,” is available online.