Anesthesia use and pain control are major concerns in dentistry. DrBicuspid.com always tries to bring you the most cutting-edge stories about these topics, and those that discussed drug interactions and potential medication abuse resonated with you the most this year.
Check out our top five anesthesia and pain management stories of 2020:
- What every dentist and team member should know about these 2 drugs
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration continues to warn practitioners that respiratory depression may occur in patients taking the drugs gabapentin or pregabalin, explains pharmacology expert Tom Viola, RPh. - Podcast: Is this OTC medication the next substance of abuse?
Viola discusses the over-the-counter (OTC) drug Benzedrex, which patients commonly use to provide temporary relief of nasal congestion by constricting blood vessels. These inhalers are easily accessible, and some people abuse them to feel euphoric. - Podcast: Busting one of the biggest myths about pain control and COVID-19
Viola, who contracted COVID-19, discusses some of the biggest myths about controlling pain and the novel coronavirus. - Combination ibuprofen + acetaminophen effective for dental pain management
Viola explains that combination analgesic products that contain only nonopioid ingredients are attractive alternatives to those that contain opioids. - 50% of opioids prescribed by dentists exceed recommendations
About half of opioid prescriptions written by dentists in the U.S. exceeded two-day supply recommendations identified in previous research. Dentists commonly prescribe opioids with about one-third of patients having received stronger medications than necessary for their pain, according to a study.
