Clinicians need to understand the signs and symptoms of opioid abuse and engage in efforts to curtail it.

As complications of medication use negatively impact oral comfort, function, and quality of life, clinicians should assess patients' drug regimens to determine oral health risks.

Oral health professionals need to be aware of the systemic and oral health effects of the substances in this class of drugs.

Providing patients with scientific information and clarifying misinformation about cannabis are essential to the provision of safe, ethical, and compassionate care.

Clinicians should be knowledgeable about the signs and symptoms of opioid use disorder in order to provide the most appropriate care to these patients.

In order to safely and effectively manage this patient population, oral health professionals should be able to recognize the medical indications for which antiplatelets are prescribed and understand their adverse effects.

Special considerations are needed when providing dental care to patients taking novel oral anticoagulants. By Sandra Stramoski, RDH, MSDH, and Anna Matthews, RDH, MS