Overuse of Non-Prescription Painkillers by Dental Patients
Author Information
Author(s): Heard Kennon J, Ries Nicole L, Dart Richard C, Bogdan Gregory M, Zallen Richard D, Daly Frank
Primary Institution: Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center, Denver Health
Hypothesis
Patients presenting to dental clinics may be at high risk of unintentional overdose of non-prescription analgesics.
Conclusion
Many dental clinic patients commonly use non-prescription analgesics, with a significant number exceeding recommended dosages.
Supporting Evidence
- 99 out of 127 patients reported using an analgesic before their dental visit.
- 54% of non-prescription analgesic users were taking more than one product.
- 16 patients reported supra-therapeutic use of one or more non-prescription analgesics.
Takeaway
A lot of people going to the dentist take too much pain medicine without knowing it, which can be dangerous.
Methodology
Adult patients at an urban dental clinic were surveyed about their non-prescription analgesic use over the three days before their visit.
Potential Biases
Potential recall bias regarding analgesic use and the exclusion of non-English speakers.
Limitations
The study was limited to a small sample size and a short time frame, and patient recall may have been inaccurate.
Participant Demographics
Mean age of participants was 35.5 years, with 52% male.
Statistical Information
Confidence Interval
95% CI [70 to 84%]
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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