Georgia Dental Association Continues To Fight Opioid Epidemic

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Oct 23, 2019, 17:30 ET

ATLANTA, Oct. 23, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Oct. 26 is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day—a day to not only safely dispose of unused prescription medications but also to raise year-round awareness and inspire further action on the opioid public health crisis.

The Georgia Dental Association (GDA) along with the American Dental Association (ADA) have advocated to keep opioid pain medications from harming dental patients and their families. Dentists have written nearly half a million fewer opioid prescriptions over a five-year period. In 2018, the ADA was the first—and to this day remains the only—national health professional organization—to agree to mandated limits on opioid prescriptions.

"The Georgia Dental Association endorsed these efforts and is proud to continue its work as a leader at the state level in this endeavor," said GDA President Dr. Evis Babo. "In 2018 GDA released its Prescribe with Care initiative that focuses on education, collaboration, and administrative rulemaking to ensure opioids are being prescribed appropriately when needed."

Among the many ways GDA continues to focus on the opioid epidemic include:

Working with the Georgia Board of Dentistry to establish a mandatory continuing education requirement as a component of the biennial dental licensure renewal process in Georgia
Creating in-person and continuing education programs educating Georgia dentists on the new opioid prescriber requirements and the use of non-opioid alternatives in the treatment of dental pain
Urging dentists with DEA licenses to register with the Georgia Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP)
Offering patient-friendly resources to help dentists educate their patients and inform the public about the dangers of opioid abuse and efficacy of non-opioid alternatives
Serving on statewide opioid task forces with legislators and other stakeholders in the healthcare and law enforcement communities

GDA continues to urge its 3,500 Georgia dentist members to consider non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) as a first-line therapy for acute pain management. A review of research published in the April 2018 Journal of the American Dental Association indicates NSAIDs, alone or in combination with acetaminophen, is more effective with fewer side effects than opioids for acute pain management.

GDA is committed to working with physicians, pharmacies, policymakers and the public to end this tragic and preventable public health crisis that has been devastating our families and communities. Learn more at ADA.org/opioids and MouthHealthy.org/opioids.

About the Georgia Dental Association
The Georgia Dental Association (GDA) is the state's largest dental association comprised of approximately 3,500 member dentists. The premier source of oral health information in Georgia, the GDA has promoted the highest standards of dentistry through education, advocacy and professionalism since 1859. A constituent of the American Dental Association, GDA is based in Atlanta.