| Opioids: use in dentistry |
Opioids act on specific receptors in the central nervous system, and can block all forms of pain, not just pain arising from tissue damage and inflammatory processes. The normal clinical doses used also dampen the patient’s emotional response to the pain, perhaps more effectively than blocking the pain itself (ie the pain may still be noted by the patient but they are able to tolerate it or cope with it better).
Opioids have many significant adverse effects in all major systems of the body, and therefore should be used with caution. Codeine is the most commonly prescribed opioid in dental practice. Opioids other than codeine are not recommended in dental practice other than in the hospital setting
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