Over the past two decades, narcotic and opioid pain medications have been overwhelmingly common for the treatment of postsurgical pain in dentistry and oral surgery. But the evidence that has been presented over the past several years has shown patients are suffering a number of problems with the use of narcotics. Pharmacists, physicians and dentists are all in agreement that pain management has to restrict or eliminate the use of narcotics. Over the past 5 years, we have been moving away from the prescription of narcotic and opioid pain medications, both in the number of prescribed doses and the number… [ Read More ]

A study released by researchers on 9/3/14 suggests that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like Celexa, Lexapro, Zoloft, Prozac, and Paxil, may be associated with a greater incidence of bone loss or lack of bone formation in patients who use those drugs. This, in turn, motivated researchers to evaluate the potential for dental implant failure in patients taking SSRIs. But the debate is significant. In fact, a response released on 9/5/14 regarding a comprehensive study of SSRIs and bone fracture was recently released. This statement illustrates how SSRis were not responsible for a significantly greater risk for bone loss or bone fractures in… [ Read More ]