Every year, approximately 3.5 million patients have their wisdom teeth removed. More often than not, these patients are given a bottle of Vicodin, Percocet, or other opioid to help them manage pain they experience in aftercare. At the same time, the United States is experiencing an opioid crisis. According to a 2011 study from the Journal of the American Dental Association, roughly 23 percent of opioids in the U.S. are used non-medically.
So what does your dentist think of all this? Keep reading to find out.