Watch out for this SCARY DRUG at the dentist’s office
No two words can drive up the anxiety levels across all age groups quite like “dentist appointment.”
You wanna REALLY start to sweat? How about… “oral surgeon.”
You can almost FEEL the numbing needle… HEAR the high-pitch scream of the drill…. And SEE those scary, pointy tools coming right at your mouth.
I’m SQUIRMING just thinking about it!
But believe it or not, most people don’t realize the WORST part of a dental procedure.
It doesn’t happen while you’re there in the chair… wishing you could pass out until it’s over.
It happens MUCH later… when you’re home and in pain from whatever they did to your poor mouth.
Because that’s when you might be tempted to reach into your pocket for that little slip of paper they handed you on your way out.
If your New Year’s resolutions include finally taking care of that toothache… here’s what you need to know before getting in the chair.
How dentists can deliver a DIFFERENT kind of pain
You don’t visit the dentist to admire the art on the walls or read two-year-old issues of People magazine.
Unless it’s a routine cleaning, you’re there because something is wrong… and something is hurting you… maybe A LOT.
You need relief — even if it means you’re on the wrong end of all those implements that look like a medieval torturer’s tools.
Sometimes, the “solution” leaves you in even MORE PAIN over the short term… with a promise it’ll lead to LESS PAIN down the road.
Other times, it didn’t really work at all – and you’re locked in an ongoing battle with dental pain.
This is where that little slip of paper I just mentioned comes into the picture.
It’s an Rx for a painkiller… as new research finds dentists are offering opioid drugs for oral pain…
And with ALARMING frequency.
That’s even WORSE than the drill — and not just because of the infamous overdose and addiction risk.
Because even when taken “correctly,” they can make you LOOPY and UNSTEADY.
That’s bad enough when you’re younger… but when you’re older, it could lead to falls and injuries.
That’s still not the WORST part of this.
All of those risks are TOTALLY unnecessary!
Studies show alternating NSAIDs with acetaminophen is just as effective as opioid drugs for dental pains.
And guess what?
Nearly EVERY dentist knows it!
In the new study, 84% were aware of that fact about painkillers… but 43% said they prescribe opioid drugs anyway. (And those are just the ones who ADMIT it).
Taking NSAIDs and acetaminophen isn’t my idea of a good time, either… but it’s WORLDS BETTER than opioids.
And if there’s EVER a time you can justify them, major tooth pain is probably it — especially if other tricks have failed (such as clove oil, a salt water rinse, or resting a warm and moist teabag on your achy spot).
If you want some SAFER dental work, look up the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology and see if they have a specialist near you.
They’re most famed for working without mercury and fluoride… but while I haven’t seen a position paper from them on pain and painkillers, I gotta believe they’re simpatico on that and other issues, too.
In Your Corner,
Dr. Allan Spreen
Source:
“Many dentists still prescribe opioid painkillers to patients, study says” – UPI.com
