"Treating Between the Lines" Understanding Rx and illicit Drug Abuse

"Treating Between the Lines" Understanding Rx and illicit Drug Abuse is organized by Vermont State Dental Society (VSDS) and will be held on Mar 24, 2023.

Description:
Substance abuse is at an all-time “high” in this country with an estimated 1 out of every 10 Americans addicted to prescription or illicit drugs. As dental professionals, we must awaken to the reality that many of our patients have substance-use disorders and that our examination findings of advanced caries, severe hyposalivation, and poor plaque control are often the effects of depressant, stimulant, and opioid abuse. Learn how to recognize the clues of substance abuse from a routine dental examination, discuss your concerns and suspicions with patients, develop and deliver safe and effective dental treatment, and manage pain with non-opioid medications.

Objectives:
At the completion of this program, participants will learn:
• To identify the prescription and illicit depressant, stimulant and opioid drugs that patients are most likely to abuse
• To recognize the physical, behavioral, and oral clues of substance abuse during a routine dental examination
• Motivational-interviewing techniques to discuss substance abuse with patients
• Office policies that safeguard both patients and practices• Evidence-based practices for managing dental pain with non-addictive analgesics
• How to avoid being targeted for drugs by patients
• To develop treatment plans based upon a caries-risk assessment that includes substance abuse
• Vermont Prescription Monitoring System (VPMS) resources will be provided