Dental Sedation for a Recovering Addict

I am in a pickle. I need an extensive amount of dental work. I will need some pain meds to deal with things and would like to have sedation during the procedure. Here’s the problem I am facing. I am a recovering drug addict. I am on methadone, but it is monitored at the clinic I attend and I have a doctor and a counselor. I offered to give them their numbers and permission to access my medical records, but the dentist still doesn’t want to give me the medication I need. Is there anyway I can get help with this?

Luke

Dear Luke,

You are in a tough spot. While most dentists are compassionate, they’re also afraid of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). There were a few cases where some case agents were overly keen and some dentists, who were just trying to be compassionate, lost their licenses. The stories got around to other dentists and some overcorrected out of fear.

What you need is to find a dentist whose compassion overrules their fear. I would start by calling around to sedation dentists and explaining your situation. I truly believe if you are persistent you will find one. If you use something like oral conscious sedation this will enable you to catch up on your needed dental work even faster.

Depending on what drug you were on, your teeth may need some cosmetic work. Meth is especially hard on teeth. In fact, it is often called meth mouth. If you decide to have dental work done after you are caught up on the health necessities, choose the dentist carefully. Cosmetic work is not taught in dental school and they will need post-doctoral training.

This blog is brought to you by West Seneca Dentist Dr. Carl Embury.