Oral health professionals are poised to address the complex issue of substance use through evidence-based screening tools.

While often underestimated, dental hygienists can make a significant impact on risk assessment for opioid misuse.

The use of both medical and recreational cannabis is growing, putting the onus on dental hygienists to understand how to provide safe and effective care.

Oral health professionals need to be prepared to detect and manage the many oral manifestations of these pharmaceuticals.

While the utilization of these cosmetic enhancements has become more prevalent in the dental setting, their use is not without risk.

As more patients begin taking biologics and their generic counterparts, oral health professionals need to be knowledgeable about their indications, adverse reactions, and risk of interactions with other medications in order to provide safe…

Transmucosal drug delivery provides an alternative to traditional enteral, intravenous, or intramuscular routes of medication administration.

Oral health professionals need to be familiar with bisphosphonates and other antiresorptive medications due to their impact on dental health.

Improving communication between providers, increasing use of alternative pain control mechanisms, and creating evidence-based prescribing guidelines will reduce the unintended distribution of prescription opioids.

With a continued rise in the use of off-label drug therapies, oral health professionals need to be aware of related legal and ethical considerations.