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Dental Leadership Doing Its Part In Preventing Opioid Misuse

Dental Leadership Doing Its Part In Preventing Opioid Misuse
by Tammy Adams

Every day, more than 115 Americans die after overdosing on opioids, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that the total "economic burden" of prescription opioid misuse in the United States alone is $78.5 billion a year, including the costs of healthcare, lost productivity, addiction treatment and law enforcement involvement.

The misuse and addiction of opioids has become a national epidemic that is affecting not only public health but the nation's economic welfare as well. It's a hot topic in most political/healthcare circles, and the field of dentistry is no exception.

The American Dental Association announced a new policy on opioids in March of this year, leading the way for other organizations to take notice and, more importantly, to join the movement. Nora Volkow, M.D., serves as director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. She attended a meeting with ADA on March 28 and publicly praised the policy, calling it "impressive."

So just what does the dental field have to say about the matter?

Read full article on MultiBriefs.