Opioid Crisis

View answers to frequently asked questions about prescribing opioids for dental pain.

View the ADA's official policies, statements, and guidelines on opioid abuse, drug addiction, and other substance use disorders, as adopted by the ADA House of Delegates.

If you are a dentist, please visit the ADA Center for Professional Success (CPS) to access practical guides for safe prescribing, free online continuing education, and other tools and information for managing dental pain, especially for patients who are at risk for drug overdose and/or addiction.

The ADA is offering free access to this content as a public service. Most other CPS content is reserved for members only.

If you are a patient, please visit MouthHealthy.org to learn about the benefits and drawbacks of using opioid pain medications, what to ask your dentist, and how to safely secure and dispose of them at home.

• September 12, 2018—Letter (PDF) expressing support for the Senate substitute amendment to H.R. 6, the Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018.


• June 12, 2018—Letter (PDF) thanking House leaders for bringing several bills to the floor to address the opioid crisis.


• June 6, 2018—Letter (PDF) urging the Senate Committee on Finance to consider several proposals when marking up legislation to address the opioid crisis.


• May 22, 2018—Letter (PDF) urging the House Judiciary Committee to consider several proposals when marking up legislation to address the opioid crisis.


• May 22, 2018—Letter (PDF) urging the Senate Judiciary Committee to consider several proposals when marking up legislation to address the opioid crisis.


• May 22, 2018—Letter (PDF) informing the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation about the ADA's new opioid prescribing policy.


• May 16, 2018—Letter (PDF) urging the House Committee on Energy and Commerce to favorably report several bills to address the opioid crisis.


• May 14, 2018—Letter (PDF) urging the House Ways and Means Committee to include dentists in any activities authorized by H.R. 5774, the Combatting Opioid Abuse for Care in Hospitals (COACH) Act.


• April 23, 2018—Letter (PDF) Letter urging the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions to favorably report S. 2680, the Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018.


• April 23, 2018—Letter (PDF) urging the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions to favorably report S. 2315, the Over-the-Counter Drug Safety, Innovation, and Reform Act.


• March 30, 2018—Letter (PDF) informing the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) about the ADA's new opioid prescribing policy.


• March 26, 2018—Letter (PDF) informing the House Committee on Energy and Commerce about the ADA's new opioid prescribing policy.


• March 26, 2018—Letter (PDF) informing the House Committee on Ways and Means about the ADA's new opioid prescribing policy.


• March 26, 2018—Letter (PDF) informing the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions about the ADA's new opioid prescribing policy.


• October 25, 2017—Statement (PDF) for the House Committee on Energy and Commerce hearing on "Federal Efforts to Combat the Opioid Crisis: A Status Update on CARA and Other Initiatives," held October 25, 2017.


• October 5, 2017—Statement (PDF) for the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions hearing on "The Federal Response to the Opioid Crisis," held October 5, 2017.


• September 28, 2017—Letter (PDF) to Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Shelley Moore Capito regarding partial fill prescriptions for Schedule II controlled substances.


• August 7, 2017—Letter (PDF) to Sen. Joe Manchin regarding dentistry's efforts to keep prescription opioid pain medications from becoming source of harm.


• November 28, 2016—Coalition letter (PDF) urging Congress to fund the opioid prescriber education and training activities authorized in the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA).


• July 14, 2016—Coalition letter (PDF) commending Congress for passing the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), and urging that the activities authorized eventually be funded.


• February 24, 2016—Letter (PDF) urging Senate leadership to bring several provisions in S. 524, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2015, to the floor for a vote by the full Senate.


• February 24, 2016—Letters urging the House Committees on Education and Workforce (PDF), Energy and Commerce (PDF), and the Judiciary (PDF) to issue favorable reports on several provisions in H.R. 953, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2015, so they may be considered for a vote by the full House of Representatives.

• May 22, 2018—Letter (PDF) urging the Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force to address management of acute dental pain in its work.


• March 16, 2018—Comments (PDF) in response to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) request for information on questions relevant to agency's Opioid Policy Steering Committee (OPSC).


• October 27, 2017—Statement on the president's official declaration of opioid abuse as a national public health emergency.


• October 27, 2017—Statement on the president's official declaration of opioid abuse as a national public health emergency.


• August 11, 2017—Statement on the president's public remarks on opioid abuse being a national public health emergency.


• July 17, 2017—Comments (PDF) on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) draft Blueprint for Prescriber Education for Extended-Release and Long-Acting Opioids.


• September 6, 2016—Comments (PDF) responding to a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) request for information about how federal opioid analgesic prescriber education and training activities can be improved.


• August 25, 2016—Letter (PDF) expressing support for the Surgeon General's Turn the Tide campaign to end opioid abuse.


• May 10, 2016—Letter (PDF) reiterating the Association's support for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration's (SAMHSA) National Recovery Month.


• April 28, 2016—Letter (PDF) reiterating the Association's support for the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take-Back Initiative.


• October 21, 2015—Letter (PDF) outlining the Association's commitment to a partnership to the White House to prevent the widespread abuse of opioid pain medications.

Select opioid-related stories from the dental profession's most widely read news source, ADA News.

• FDA to issue framework for pain management guidelines (ADA News 8/23/18)
• Webinar focuses on interprofessional approach to address opioid abuse epidemic (ADA News 8/6/18)
• National Academy of Medicine announces collaborative focused on ending opioid crisis (ADA News 8/3/18)
• House approves streamlining approval for some OTC drugs (ADA News 7/17/18)
• House passes legislative package addressing opioid crisis (ADA News 6/26/18)
• ADA meets with HHS to discuss dentistry's continuing efforts in ending opioid crisis (ADA News 6/18/18)
• July 19 webinar to focus on status of opioid crisis (ADA News 6/18/18)
• ADA asks House to prioritize several opioid bills (ADA News 6/13/18)
• ADA asks Senate Judiciary committee to include dental profession's concerns in opioid legislation (ADA News 5/23/18)
• ADA wants federal agencies to provide best practices for managing acute pain (ADA News 5/23/18)
• ADA commends Senate committee for prioritizing opioids (ADA News 5/21/18)
• ADA weighs in on opioids bills ahead of committee markup (ADA News 5/16/18)
• ADA supports two House opioid bills (ADA News 5/15/18)
• June 7 webinar to focus on managing pain in adolescents (ADA News 5/11/18)
• Committee passes legislation calling for FDA to modernize drug monograph (ADA News 5/9/18)
• ADA asks Senate to update FDA drug monograph (ADA News 4/25/18)
• ADA prioritizes 7 sections of Opioid Crisis Response Act (ADA News 4/24/18)
• Dentists flood Capitol Hill (ADA News 4/18/18)
• ADA book offers guidance for treating opioid users and safe prescribing (ADA News 4/17/18)
• Agencies announce April 25 forum on opioids, minority health (ADA News 4/16/18)
• Issues take center stage at ADA Dentist and Student Lobby Day (ADA News 4/9/18)
• NIH announces initiative to end addiction, increases research funding (ADA News 4/4/18)
• ADA, NIH look for ways to collaborate on dentistry's role in preventing opioid misuse (ADA News 4/2/18)
• ADA offers opioid prescribing recommendations in FDA comments (ADA News 3/27/18)
• New spending bill earmarks $4 billion for opioids (ADA News 3/27/18)
• ADA adopts interim opioids policy (ADA News 3/26/18)
• Accidental activist: life changes lead dentist to speak on opioid harms (ADA News 3/26/18)
• April JADA examines opioids and dentistry (ADA News 3/26/18)
• Webinar to explain providers' role in helping DEA prevent prescription drug abuse (ADA News 3/19/18)
• Emergency department referral models focus of webinar (ADA News 3/5/18)
• Opioids webinar covers prescribing strategies for managing pain (ADA News 2/28/18)
• ADA outlines priorities for oral health to new HHS secretary (ADA News 2/14/18)
• Congress earmarks $6 billion for opioids (ADA News 2/13/18)
• Agency finalizes rule on patient records (ADA News 1/31/18)
• FDA explores single-dose packaging to reduce opioids abuse (ADA News 1/30/18)
• ADA book offers guidance for treating opioid users, safe prescribing (ADA News 1/22/18)
• MyView: Opioid addiction: Perspective from a father, clinician and educator (ADA News 1/22/18)
• A message from the ADA president: Preventing opioid abuse from the dental chair (ADA News 1/22/18)
• Feb. 14 webinar to address nonopioid strategies for managing pain (ADA News 1/11/18)
• Dentist stresses prescriber education, shares personal story during Senate opioid hearing (ADA News 11/30/17)
• Office for Civil Rights issues opioids guidance for providers (ADA News 11/7/17)
• ADA commends White House for declaring public health emergency on opioids (ADA News 10/27/17)
• ADA member dentist among authors of national report on opioids epidemic (ADA News 10/10/17)
• ADA asks Congress to include one-time surgical procedures in response to opioid crisis (ADA News 10/9/17)
• FDA to require manufacturers to train providers who prescribe immediate release opioids (ADA News 9/28/17)
• ADA commends CVS Health in battling opioid epidemic (ADA News 9/21/17)
• ADA lauds President Trump's statement on opioid abuse as national emergency (ADA News 8/15/17)
• ADA asks FDA to expand opioids efforts to include managing dental pain (ADA News 7/17/17)
• ADA, others ask Congress for funding to curb opioid addiction (ADA News 12/12/16)
• ADA joins FDA stakeholder meeting (ADA News 12/7/16)
• ADA pledges support for Partnership for Drug-Free Kids campaign (ADA News 9/15/16)
• ADA urges HHS to elevate dental pain management in opioid training activities (ADA News 9/7/16)
• ADA joins Surgeon General campaign to raise opioid abuse awareness (ADA News 8/25/16)
• ADA, others thank Congress for efforts in curbing opioid addiction (ADA News 7/20/16)
• ADA president urges dentists to renew commitment to prevent opioid abuse (ADA News 7/5/16)
• July JADA takes a look at opioids, dentists (ADA News 6/20/16)
• ADA supports National Recovery Month (ADA News 5/10/16)
• ADA supports April 30 Drug Take Back Day (ADA News 4/25/16)
• ADA asks lawmakers to help combat prescription opioid abuse (ADA News 2/29/16)
• WVDA president attends Obama forum (ADA News 10/22/15)
• ADA, White House partner on opioid prevention initiative (ADA News 10/21/15)
• New book focuses on opiates, other substance use (ADA News 8/10/2015)
• ADA joins AMA Task Force to Reduce Opioid Abuse (ADA News 8/6/15)
• CEO of The Partnership for Drugfree.org delivers keynote at wellness conference (ADA News 10/21/13)
• CDC to interview dentists on state prescription drug monitoring programs (ADA News 8/19/13)
• Survey says prescription drug abuse declining (ADA News 10/8/12)
• ADA announces professional, public drug abuse initiatives (ADA News 9/25/12)
• ADA receives grant to create pain management training (ADA News 2/6/12)

Select opioid-related articles from the Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA).

• Commentary: The role of the oral health community in addressing the opioid overdose epidemic (JADA August 2018)
• Benefits and Harms Associated with Analgesic Medications Used in the Management of Acute Dental Pain: An Overview of Systematic Reviews (JADA April 2018)
• Opioid Prescribing Practices From 2010 Through 2015 Among Dentists in the United States: What Do Claims Data Tell Us? (JADA April 2018)
• Prescription Monitoring Program Data: What It Can Tell You (JADA April 2018)
• Opioid prescribing and risk mitigation implementation in the management of acute pain: Results from The National Dental Practice-Based Research Network (JADA April 2018)
• Sex and Race or Ethnicity Disparities in Opioid Prescriptions for Dental Diagnoses Among Patients Receiving Medicaid (JADA April 2018)
• Why do we prescribe Vicodin? (JADA July 2016)
• Dental opioid prescribing and multiple opioid prescriptions among dental patients (JADA July 2016)
• Addressing after-hours requests for prescription drugs (JADA April 2014)
• Combining ibuprofen and acetaminophen for acute pain management after third-molar extractions (JADA August 2013)
• Substance-use screening and interventions in dental practices: Survey of practice-based research network dentists regarding current practices, policies and barriers (JADA June 2013)
• Prevention of prescription opioid abuse: The role of the dentist (JADA July 2011)
• What Should I do When I Suspect a Patient May be Abusing Prescription Drugs? (JADA May 2008)
• What are my ethical responsibilities when I suspect an employee of substance abuse? (JADA February 2007)

View the ADA's press kit for more in-depth information about dentistry's response to the opioid crisis.

Journalists may also contact the media relations department at:

Media Relations
312.440.2806
Email: mediarelations@ada.org

Government and Public Affairs

Washington Office
202.898.2400
Email: govtpol@ada.org

State Government Affairs
312.440.2525
Email: govtpol@ada.org

American Dental Political Action Committee (ADPAC)
202.898.2424
Email: adpac@ada.org

Media Relations

Journalists may contact the media relations department at:

Media Relations
312.440.2806
Email: mediarelations@ada.org

Center for Professional Success (CPS)

Questions about government rules and regulations? Explore the ADA Center for Professional Success. (Members Only)

Other Questions?

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