Teens get addicted to opioids after wisdom teeth removal. Insurers are cracking down

(The Kansas City Star, March 4) Teens and young people who were first exposed opioid painkillers after getting a prescription from dentists following care were more than 10 times more likely than others in their age range to be diagnosed with opioid abuse within just one year of the prescription, according to a study.

The study, entitled “Association of Opioid Prescriptions From Dental Clinicians for US Adolescents and Young Adults With Subsequent Opioid Use and Abuse,” was published in JAMA Internal Medicine in December 2018. Read more.