This is an important article that strongly suggest that the automatic prescription of Opioids for pain relief after Wisdom teeth extraction could be the cause of many susceptible young people getting hooked on them later in life
."Dentists and oral surgeons are by far the major prescribers of opioids for people ages 10 to 19. That’s an age when the growing brain, which doesn’t mature until 25, is particularly susceptible to being taken over by opioids — even if the dosage seems too small to produce addiction.
In fact, even very short-term prescriptions have been associated with later drug misuse among teens who have not used illegal drugs before. Comparatively, this is a very low-risk group; the chances of future misuse and addiction are far higher for teens who have already used other illegal drugs. Nevertheless, a recent study of “drug-naïve” teens found that getting an opioid prescription in high school is associated with a one-third greater risk of future opioid misuse."
Opioids were prescribed for both my kids after their wisdom tooth surgery. My S didn’t need any, my D took a few doses because she also had bone grafts in anticipation of future implants at the same time and was in a lot of discomfort. They made her nauseous so she stopped taking. What concerned me was the large quantity prescribed, 30 pills each I think. Seemed excessive even if they needed it for a short course. I don’t understand why they don’t just prescribe enough for a day or two. Prescribing more than needed would seem to me to contribute to the possibility of abuse.
Wisdom tooth removal, itself somewhat controversial when done prophylactically, is commonly associated with inappropriate prescribing of opioids and antibiotics.
That’s interesting. My son was prescribed what seemed to both of us an inordinate amount of opioid pain relievers after getting his wisdom teeth out. He refused to take any of them. He’s very, very leery of them. He got went to the hospital in Jordan they threw a lot of drugs at him and he was on the phone with us the next day trying to figure out what they all were. He threw the painkillers away since pain was not the issue.
I was not give an antibiotic after I had one wisdom tooth removed. I went out of town for the weekend and got a horrible sinus infection. The dentist poo-pooed the idea that he was the cause, but I’d never had one before and I’ve never had one since.
I’m not at all surprised. My daughter was given 30 pills after her wisdom teeth surgery one summer. She took maybe 4 of them. The following week, my son had his wisdom teeth out, and I mentioned to the dentist that we already had a bunch of opioid pills at home, so he told my son to just take those, but handed him a prescription “just in case.” We still had pills left over, so as soon as I knew my kids were pain free, I turned them in at the town medical waste day. I don’t believe in rationing pain relief, but I don’t want those things in my house any longer than necessary.
My daughter just had her wisdom teeth out and got either 20 or 30 pills. She did take one per night for about a week… I think 20 is ridiculous as they have to go back to the dentist a week later for a check so could get another prescription if they need more.
I had a tooth removed and my dentist gave me no pain pills. I said I really wanted them and he gave me 4. FOUR! Once about 15 years ago I had an abscessed tooth on a weekend and I was in total pain. A percoset saved me until I could get to the dentist (and then the specialist).
A 33% increase sounds large until you compare it to other risk factors. According to the same study, smoking a cigarette just once increase your odds of illicit opioid use 56%. Smoking cigarettes regularly in the past increases those odds 108%. Using marijuana 10-19 times increase the odds 174%.
This is something to think about. And I don’t think it would have crossed my mind before.
Oldest D took 3 after her wisdom teeth came out and could have got by with ibuprofen. I took 2 after a tooth needed to be removed after an abscess and I also really did not need the opioids either.
Then I think about one of my much younger children who has struggled with impulse control (though different therapies have helped). She is the only one of my kids who would have immediately eaten all the marshmallows she could if she had been given the marshmallow test. Combining that personality with a strong family history of addiction–so strong that I am the only person I know of in my dad’s line without a history of abusing drugs and alcohol-- I really worry about her future.
Thankfully, she is actually a very nice kid with a good head on her shoulders. But I would never want to take any chances triggering a potential addiction in her. Never.
@cellomom2 - I agree. When my step daughter stupidly fell and broke her front teeth (yes liquor was involved) the dentist gave her an entire prescription of these – a college student! We told her to get rid of them! It wasn’t necessary for this smallish issue IMO.
I have had extensive and painful oral surgery. My dentist in the past would prescribe opioids, but says research has shown that 2 Advil and 1 extra strength Tylenol cuts the pain as well, and doesn’t gave all of the side effects. I tried taking just the Advil (didn’t have the Tylenol at home, was lazy), and it didn’t work nearly as well.
We have oxycodone left over from DW’s surgery, but for me, it’s 2 Advil + 1 extra strength Tylenol. It doesn’t make you loopy, you can drive, sleep, etc.
I had two surgeries in the past few years and both times was given way more pain pills than I needed. Doc said it was a PITA to refill so he gave me more than I’d need (??!). S had his wisdom teeth out,same thing, too many, because refills are hard. We both got rid of the excess pills ASAP.
My last surgery, I got hydrocodone. No risk of dependence because it made me really freaking sick.
When I got my wisdom teeth out around 10 years ago now, I was given a prescription for about 2 weeks. I had 5 wisdom teeth and I ended up getting dry socket in all 4 holes so it was really painful.
I had to go to the ER a few weeks ago with my dad because of debilitating pain (his). He was given only 3 days worth of pain pills. I went a few days later for my own pain and was given the same thing (different hospital). It seems like the crackdown has really been rolled out (at least in certain places).
In 2008, some of our local high school students were caught with black tar heroin. Parents were absolutely shocked since their (mine, too) idea of heroin was junkies in flop houses, not upper income, privileged high school students. The school sponsored several speakers on the topic and one was a drug court judge. She was absolutely convinced that dentists/wisdom teeth removal was a major contributor to the use of heroin by teens. She said she always asked those who came before her in court how they got started. The typical story was a 30 day Rx of opioids followed by purchasing pills illegally. When their tolerance increased and they required more and more drug, they got to a point they couldn’t afford the pills and they turned to heroin which was a lot cheaper.
I talked to my dentist (he’s in his early 60s) and he talked about the changes over the course of his career. At the start, there was an expectation by both dentist and patient that if you cut gum and pulled teeth, there would be pain. The goal was to “take the edge off it”. Eventually patients and dentists came to expect zero pain and that led to the 30 day prescriptions of narcotics. With the opioid epidemic, the pendulum is swinging back to counseling patients that some pain is to be expected. He thinks the trend will be a very short course of prescribed painkillers (2-4 days) followed by using OTC pain relievers.
They gave me vicodin after my C-section. I preferred ibuprofin with some pain remainder to the constipation that pain killers cause. Not clear on why pills that cause those digestive problems are so attractive to many.
Sometimes people get very short-term treatment with opioids-- can be as little as one dose – and seek it out years later. It’s kind of terrifying.
I was given 40 tablets of percocet after surgery even though I hadn’t taken any pain medication at all for 4 or 5 days before discharge. My sister talked me into filling it. I used some of them-- once when I had a painful burn on my hand and once for my husband when he had a kidney stone. Didn’t help either time!
and survived from their endodontist.