Ernie Mundell SOURCES: JAMA Network Open, Aug. 17, 2022; University of Rochester Medical Center, news release, Aug. 17, 2022
An epidemic of opioid abuse — everything from OxyContin and Percocet to heroin — still plagues the United States. In response, medical specialties are cutting back on the use of prescription opioids, especially for the relief of short-term pain. Dental pain is one of those scenarios. As Ren and his colleagues noted, “although the American Dental Association recommends nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for managing pain, opioids continue to be used more than non-opioids.”
