Florida Board Approved and AGD PACE #50-20641

Reports to CE Broker within 24 Hours

Course Description

Accidental drug overdose is the leading cause of death among Americans under the age of 50. In 2016 alone, more people died from drug overdoses than died during the Vietnam War. Approximately two-thirds of drug overdose deaths in 2016 were related to prescription or illicit opioids (Drug Policy Alliance, n.d.). It is not uncommon for individuals to become addicted following a simple dental procedure, such as a wisdom tooth extraction (JAMA Network, 2016). The following course is designed to help dental professionals understand their role in fighting the current opioid crisis as well as provide best practices that dentists can use when prescribing pain medications to their patients.


Course Curriculum

  • 1

    Controlled Substance Prescribing in Dentistry

    • Course Description

    • Learning Objectives

    • Course Outline

    • Introduction

    • Trends in Opioid Prescribing

    • Types of Opioids

    • Mechanism of Action of Opioids

    • Physical Effects of Opioids on the Body

    • Side Effects of Opioids

    • Opioid Agonists and Antagonists

    • Pain Medications in Dental Practice

    • Opioid Tolerance, Dependence, Addiction, and Withdrawal

    • Guidelines for Opioid Prescription by Dentists

    • Screening for Substance Abuse

    • Opioid Best Practices for Dentists

    • Conclusion

    • Test

    • References

    • Course Evaluation

About the instructor

Lead Dental Planner

Jonas Ashbaugh, DDS

Dentistry is not only my job but also my hobby. I am a life long learner with a desire to educate and teach others.  Since graduating in The Ohio State University in 2012, I have been nothing but dedicated to dentistry and learning all that I can. In July of 2016 I received my Fellowship with the Academy of General Dentistry after just four short years. In my practice, I provide various specialty and general services such as third molar surgery, CEREC restorations, Sleep Apnea appliances, implant therapy, upper/lower root canal therapy and various periodontal procedures with or without moderate conscious IV sedation.