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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2020 Apr 1.
Published in final edited form as: J Am Dent Assoc. 2019 Apr;150(4):259–268.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.adaj.2018.12.030

Table 3:

Dosage and Duration of Opioid Prescriptions Following Dental Visits by Visit Type and Prior High Risk Prescription Use

Day’s Supply
Mean (SD)
Quantity Prescribed
Mean (SD)
Daily MME
Mean (SD)
P-Value
Overall 3.6 (3.6) 17.5 (13.1) 32.1 (16.0)
Visit Type <0.05
Invasive
Procedures
3.4 (2.3) 17.1 (9.5) 32.8 (15.4)
Endodontics 3.1 (2.9) 15.8 (12.1) 32.0 (16.1)
Periodontics 2.6 (0.8) 13.3 (4.5) 31.5 (14.1)
OMFS 3.4 (2.3) 17.1 (9.3) 32.8 (15.3)
Implants 2.8 (0.8) 15.9 (3.5) 31.8 (7.3)
All other invasive procedure combinations 3.1 (1.6) 16.9 (10.8) 34.2 (15.5)
Non-invasive
Procedures
4.2 (5.3) 18.3 (18.3) 30.6 (17.1)
Endodontics 6.0 (12.2) 23.0 (27.8) 32.3 (17.0)
Periodontics 6.3 (8.9) 26.8 (31.9) 32.0 (18.5)
Implants 3.0 (N/A) 20.0 (N/A) 33.3 (N/A)
Diagnostic 3.8 (4.4) 18.7 (16.4) 35.0 (18.5)
Preventive 9.1 (11.3) 27.2 (22.3) 34.0 (20.0)
Restorative 5.2 (7.6) 22.7 (25.4) 35.2 (21.5)
All other non-
invasive
procedure
combinations
4.2 (5.4) 17.5 (17.8) 28.3 (15.5)
High Risk Status* <0.05
Yes 4.3 (5.6) 19.5 (19.2) 33.6 (18.6)
No 3.3 (1.8) 16.5 (8.1) 31.2 (14.4)

SD=Standard Deviation; MME: Milligram Morphine Equivalent

*

”Prior high risk prescription use” is defined as beneficiaries with: More than 3 prescribers within 12 months; More than 4 controlled substance II-V prescriptions within 12 months; More than 2 controlled substance II-V prescriptions within last 40 days; Any prescription for Methadone, Suboxone, Fentanyl Transdermal, Long-acting Morphine, or Long-acting Oxycodone within last 6 months; Any overlapping prescriptions for Narcotics (controlled substance II-V) and Benzodiazepines within last 6 months; More than 100 average MME/day (Morphine Milligram Equivalent/day) prescribed within last 40 days