Recognize dentistry's role in the opioid epidemic.
Understand the ways to better manage acute and postoperative dental pain.
Adopt prescribing techniques to avoid abuse and diversion of controlled substances.
Prescription opioids, heroin and fentanyl use is increasing in the United States along with addiction overdose and death. More people died of drug addiction in the United States in recent years than ever before. Nearly half of all opioid overdose deaths involve a prescription opioid. This course reviews the history of the opioid epidemic while also looking at dentistry's role in the opioid epidemic. Management of acute and postoperative pain will be discussed along with safe prescribing techniques to avoid abuse and diversion.
