Middlesex District Dental Society presents
Pharmacologic Management of Acute Dental Pain and the Prescription Opioid Epidemic
Speaker: Richard S. Harold, B.S. (Pharmacy), D.M.D., JD
Date: Wednesday, May 14, 2025
Time: 6:00 pm Registration
7:00 – 9:00 pm Lecture
CEUs: 2
Event Overview
Proper implementation of prescription writing skills is a critical aspect of patient care in today's climate of opioid abuse and enhanced prescribing regulations. The attendee will learn about the history of pain management and dentistry's responsibility in combating the prescription drug epidemic. The basics of choosing proper analgesics are reviewed so that the attendee will understand the standards of care as they pertain to pain management. Attendees will obtain a better understanding of addiction and substance abuse problems and be better prepared to manage and counsel high-risk patients.
The presentation will discuss the scope and responsibilities of prescription writing privileges as it applies to the practice of dentistry. Pharmacologic pain management options available to dentists will be reviewed including opioids and non-opioids. The principles of oral dosing regimens will be presented along with side effects, contraindications and clinically significant drug-drug interactions. Basic pain physiology will be discussed as well as the mechanisms of action of commonly prescribed analgesics. The dentist’s responsibility in combating drug diversion will be presented including how to identify drug seeking patients.
Course Objectives
- Review analgesic prescribing guidelines in connection with the effective management of acute dental pain.
- Understand the origin of the prescription opioid epidemic and dentistry’s role in combating substance abuse.
- Understand the risks of substance abuse and addiction associated with opioid analgesics.
- Learn to identify and counsel patients at risk for substance abuse.
- Understand how to counsel patients about the side effects, security, addictive nature and proper storage and disposal of controlled substances.
- Understand the legal and ethical issues of prescribing appropriate quantities of controlled substances.
- Understand the basic pharmacology and side effects of opioid and non-opioid analgesics.
Speaker Bio
Richard Harold, DMD, JD: served as a Full Professor at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in Boston prior to becoming a dental-legal consultant, expert witness, author and national speaker. Dr. Harold received his DMD degree from Tufts University, his JD from New England School of Law and his BS in pharmacy from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy. Prior to joining the faculty at Tufts University, Dr. Harold owned and operated a general dentistry practice. Dr. Harold served as a consultant to the American Dental Association Council on Dental Practice during 2018-19 and participated in an initiative to develop a comprehensive resource on dental practice risk management. The work product of the initiative serves as the basis for the ADA Guidelines for Practice Success module on Managing Risk and is available online at www.ADA.org/gps .
Speaker has no financial conflicts to disclose.
Questions? Contact Sarah Pilling at [email protected] or 508.449.6012.