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Michigan OPEN
Evidence

Persistent Opioid Use after Wisdom Tooth Extraction

Harbaugh CM, Nalliah RP, Hu HM, Englesbe MJ, Waljee JF, Brummett CM. Persistent Opioid Use After Wisdom Tooth Extraction. JAMA. 2018;320(5):504-506. doi:10.1001/jama.2018.9023

  • Approximately 80% of patients who were not using opioids before wisdom tooth extraction filled an opioid prescription at the time of surgery.
  • Opioid prescriptions at the time of wisdom tooth extraction lead to a 3-fold increased odds of developing persistent opioid use in the year after surgery among adolescents and young adults.
  • Given the effectiveness of non-opioid analgesics, the practice of any routine opioid prescribing must be questioned in the face of the potential morbidity and long-term consequences of opioid use.


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