Opioid prescribing practices from 2010 through 2015 among dentists in the United States: What do claims data tell us?

BACKGROUND

Dentists wrote 6.4% of all opioid prescriptions in the United States in 2012. The purpose of this study was to examine opioid prescription rates, dosage of opioids prescribed, type of opioid drug prescribed, and type of dental visit at which dentists prescribe opioids.

METHODS

The authors used the 2010 through 2015 Truven Health Marketscan Research databases and the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) Training and Technical Assistance Center conversion data set. The authors conducted descriptive analyses for days' supply, quantity prescribed, and daily morphine milligram equivalent dose.

RESULTS

The opioid prescription rate per 1,000 dental patients increased from 130.58 in 2010 to 147.44 in 2015. Approximately 68.41% of all opioids prescribed were during surgical dental visits and approximately 31.10% during nonsurgical dental visits. During nonsurgical dental visits at which dentists prescribed an opioid, most of the procedures were restorative.

CONCLUSIONS

Among a population of dental patients with private insurance, opioid prescribing rates in the United States increased slightly from 2010 to 2015. The largest increase was among 11- through 18-year-olds. Almost one-third of opioid prescriptions written by dentists were associated with nonsurgical dental visits.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

Use of PDMP resources and use of nonopioid analgesics could help reduce the number of opioid prescriptions in dentistry.