Prescription Drug Abuse Among Patients in Rural Dental Practices Reported by Members of the National Dental PBRN

Prescriptions of analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs in municipalities from a Brazilian Southeast state

The objective of this study was to describe dental prescriptions of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), opioids, and analgesics dispensed by the Brazilian National Health System (BNHS, SUS in Portuguese) of a Southeastern state from January to December 2017, and to analyze their association with socioeconomic and oral health care services' characteristics at municipal level. Data were collected from the Brazilian Integrated Pharmaceutical Care Management System. Medicines were grouped according to the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System. The total number of Defined Daily Doses (DDD) and DDD per 1,000 inhabitants (inhab.) per year were presented and compared between groups of municipalities. Data analysis used the Classification and Regression Tree model performed with IBM SPSS 25.0. The total number of NSAID, opioids, and analgesics prescriptions was 70,747 and accounted for 354,221.13 DDD. The most frequently prescribed medicine was ibuprofen (n = 24,676; 34.88%). The number of dental practitioners in the BNHS per 1,000 inhab. (p < 0.001), first dental appointment coverage (p = 0.010), oral health teams per 1,000 inhab. (p=0.022), and the proportion of rural population (p = 0.014) were variables positively associated with the number of DDD of NSAID per 1,000 inhab. per year. Bolsa Família program coverage per 1,000 inhab. (p = 0.022) was negatively associated with NSAID prescription. Regarding analgesics, first dental appointment coverage (p=0.002) and Bolsa Família program coverage per 1,000 inhab. (p = 0.012) were positively associated with DDD per 1,000 inhab. per year. In conclusion, dental prescriptions of analgesics and NSAID in the BNHS were associated with socioeconomic and oral health care services' characteristics.

Material selection for tooth-supported single crowns-a survey among dentists in Germany

Objectives

This study aimed to survey dentists in Germany to identify their favored materials for the fabrication of tooth-supported single crowns (SCs) depending on the location of the abutment teeth and the preparation margin.

Materials and methods

The survey included questions regarding demographic characteristics of dentists/their dental practice and preferred restorative materials for the fabrication of SCs for abutment teeth 16, 11, 34, and 36 with either supra- or subgingival preparation margins.

Results

Between August 2019 and February 2020, 721 dentists participated in the survey; responses from 33 dentists were excluded from data analysis because the dentists did not work in Germany or provided less than one fixed dental prosthesis/month. Dentists favored ceramic materials independent of the location of the abutment tooth and preparation margin (56.6–92.2%). CAD/CAM resin composites or full metals were preferred by only a few participants. A significantly higher proportion of dentists recommended porcelain fused to metal for subgingival preparation margins than for supragingival margins (p < 0.001). Characteristics of dentists/dental practices influenced a single scenario (11 subgingival) that was dependent on the dentist’s time since graduation. When asked to specify the ceramic materials, numerous participants wrote a free response (5.7–7.8%) or did not answer (0.7–4.8%).

Conclusions

Dentists in Germany selected restorative materials for SCs depending on the clinical scenario. Since numerous dentists did not specify the ceramic materials, postgraduate information and education might help to extend expertise.

Clinical relevance

The results of this survey provide insight into the favored materials of dentists for the fabrication of tooth-supported SCs.