Dentists have been inundated by patients with an array of complicated medical conditions and pain/sedation management issues. This is in addition to a variety of legal regulations dentists must follow regarding the storage and recordkeeping of controlled substances. Avoid unknowingly putting your practice at risk by becoming victim to a scam or violating a recordkeeping requirement with The ADA Practical Guide to Substance Use Disorders and Safe Prescribing.

This Practical Guide is ideal for dentists and staff as they navigate:

• Detecting and deterring substance use disorders (SUD) and drug diversion in the dental office (drug-seeking patients)
• Prescribing complexities
• Treating patients with SUD and complex analgesic and sedation (pain/sedation management) needs and the best use of sedation anxiety medication
• Interviewing and counselling options for SUD
• Federal drug regulations
Commonly used illicit, prescription, and over-the-counter drugs, as well as alcohol and tobacco, are also covered.

Special features include:

• Clinical tools proven to aid in the identification, interviewing, intervention, referral and treatment of SUD
• Basic elements of SUD, acute pain/sedation management, and drug diversion
• Summary of evidence-based literature that supports what, when and how to prescribe controlled substances to patients with SUD
• Discussion of key federal controlled substance regulations that frequently impact dental practitioners
• Checklists to help prevent drug diversion in dental practices
• Chapter on impaired dental professionals
• Case studies that examine safe prescribing and due diligence