Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Clinical Practice Guideline for Prescribing Opioids: United States, 2022: What dentists need to know

Bavarian R, Sandhu S, Handa S, Shaefer J, Kulich RA, Keith DA.
J Am Dent Assoc. 2023 Apr 25:S0002-8177(23)00119-8.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37097279/

Background: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published the Clinical Practice Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Pain-United States, 2022 (CDCCPG) to replace the 2016 guideline. This guideline was designed to serve as a clinical tool to improve communication between clinicians and patients and empower them to make informed, person-centered decisions regarding pain management and the prescribing of opioids. It is intended for primary care and other clinicians, including dentists, who provide pain management for adults with acute, subacute, and chronic pain.

Types of studies reviewed: This article summarizes the CDCCPG, with an emphasis on information of relevance to dentistry.

Results: For dentists, the most important recommendations for pain management are that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications are first-line medications for acute dental pain, interdisciplinary care for chronic orofacial pain is indicated, and opioids should only be prescribed for acute dental pain for a maximum of 3 days after risk assessment.

Practical implications: The CDCCPG contains a great deal of relevant information that can help dentists and dental specialists make safe, effective, and evidence-based decisions in providing pain control for their patients.

Keywords: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; acute pain; chronic pain; clinical guidelines; dental pain; opioids; pain management.