Are We Overprescribing High-Risk Drugs to Children in Dental Care?

A large-scale analysis of MarketScan data (2014–2019) revealed that 0.72% of pediatric dental visits (n = 269,991) involved high-risk medications —notably opioids, benzodiazepines, and barbiturates. Alarmingly, 4.3% of these cases resulted in hospitalization or emergency visits within 7 days , while 1 in 10 opioid prescriptions led to overdose or persistent opioid use . Risk was highest among younger children (ages 4–5), females , and those with chronic conditions or treated in outpatient settings . The findings underscore an urgent need for stricter prescribing vigilance, emphasizing nonopioid pain management and adherence to pediatric analgesic guidelines to safeguard young patients.

To read more ; Click here Are pediatric dental teams ready to move beyond opioids toward safer, guideline-based pain control? ##Reference## Liu Y, Zouaidi K, Hubbard CC, et al. High-risk medications in…