Opioids Still Prescribed After 15% of Root Canals, National Network Study Finds

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Posted: June 17, 2026

Opioids Still Prescribed After 15% of Root Canals, National Network Study Finds

Edited by Dentaltown staff

Dentists prescribed opioids to about 15% of patients who received nonsurgical root canal therapy, even though clinical guidelines discourage routine opioid use for localized endodontic infections, according to a study published June 12 in The Journal of the American Dental Association.

The study drew on the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network, a group of practitioners who gather data from everyday clinical settings. A total of 153 dentists, including 104 general dentists and 49 endodontists, enrolled 1,723 patients who needed root canal treatment. The practitioners recorded standardized clinical, radiographic, and demographic information before and after each procedure, and the primary measure was whether the patient received an opioid prescription.

Opioids were prescribed to 263 of the 1,723 patients. The analysis used statistical models that accounted for the clustering of patients under the dentists who treated them.

Several factors were linked to a greater likelihood of an opioid prescription. Patients who reported being somewhat to extremely afraid of the procedure had higher odds, as did those whose tooth was tender to palpation and those whose treatment was completed in a single visit. The odds were lower when a radiolucency, which can signal infection or inflammation around the root, was visible on the radiograph.

The authors wrote that the findings point to opportunities to reduce opioid use in endodontics through better management of patient anxiety, wider use of nonopioid pain relievers, and focused efforts in settings where prescribing runs high.

The research was conducted by Mungia and colleagues at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, working with the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network Collaborative Group. The authors reported no relevant financial disclosures.

Sources:
JADA: doi.org/10.1016/j.adaj.2026.03.008
PubMed: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42287275


Opioids Still Prescribed After 15% of Root Canals, National Network Study Finds


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