Dental Prescription Painkillers Contributing to Teen Opioid Abuse

December 18, 2018 – – Dental prescriptions are contributing to the problem of teen opioid abuse, according to a recent study published in JAMA Internal Medicine. The study reports that dental opioid prescriptions for children ages 11 to 18 have risen by 67 percent since 2010. This means that dentists are the leading prescribers of prescription painkillers for teens and adolescents.

According to the study, children and adolescents aged 11 to 18 received more dental prescriptions for opioids in 2015 compared to 2010—and this trend is still on the rise. 99 patients per 1,000 received opioids in 2010, while almost 166 patients per 1,000 received this type of prescription in 2015.

This also means that almost one quarter of the first opioid prescription for patients are coming from dentists. Wisdom teeth extraction is one of the most common sources of prescriptions for opioids in this group. It is a dental procedure that is performed on approximately 5 million people in the United States each year.

While prescription painkillers by themselves are not dangerous, there is still a possibility of these opioids being misused. This is what puts patients at risk of the highly addictive side of these medications.

Adolescents and young adults who are given prescription opioids after dental work are at risk of persistent use and abuse of these drugs. The risk is particularly high if parents do not guide their children regarding the usage of these habit-forming medications.

Parents and guardians should therefore remember to keep track of their children’s prescription painkiller intake, to make sure they are following their dentist’s instructions.

Of the nearly 15,000 young people given prescription opioids by their dentist in 2015, nearly 7 percent had another round of opioids prescribed within 90 to 365 days after their initial prescription. In addition to this is a more worrisome piece of data: nearly 6 percent were diagnosed with opioid abuse within 12 months of their initial prescription.

Out of those who didn’t receive an opioid prescription from their dentist, only 0.1 percent received an opioid prescription later on, and just 0.4 percent were diagnosed with opioid abuse. Do keep in mind that prescription drug abuse is caused by a number of factors and dentists aren’t solely responsible for the eventual misuse of these drugs. But these prescriptions are an important factor.

Researchers are still looking into the necessity of opioids in such dental procedures, and are trying to determine which cases would not require such potent medications. It is also worth noting that opioid abuse is a widespread public health crisis in the United States currently, and teens are not the only ones affected by it. These studies merely show that the scope of the problem is much bigger than some may initially believe.

Additionally, the problem of substance abuse may begin much earlier in a person’s life than some people may anticipate. Deaths from opioid overdoses have more than tripled between 1999 and 2016. For those battling addictions or have loved ones addicted to their prescription painkillers or any other substance, medical intervention is necessary. People are encouraged to look for a drug treatment facility near them today and learn about the process of rehabilitation.

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