New Rules Prevent Doctors From 'Calling In' Prescriptions for Pain Medications

New Prescription Rules Go Into Effect Soon

Have you ever called your dentist late on a Saturday with a dental emergency?  Emergencies happen, and often, they do not happen during normal office hours.  Tighter regulation of prescribing certain medications can make painful dental emergencies a little harder to cope with. 

Beginning October 1, 2014, DEA and DPS regulations will change the drug classification of common pain medications, requiring all prescriptions to be written on official forms.  This means that all patients receiving prescription pain control must come to the office to receive the prescription. 

No More 'Calling In' Prescription Pain Medications

The new, tighter regulations are a good thing for preventing the abuse of prescription medications like hydrocodone and codeine.  Making these substances harder to get will hopefully help control the amount of prescription medications making their way onto the street.  For dental patients, this means, in the event of a late night toothache, your dentist will no longer be able to 'call in' a prescription for pain medications to ease your discomfort until you can make it into the office for treatment.

The Best Way to Prevent the Need for Prescription Pain Medicine

These new regulations can have a silver lining for patients who typically wait for a dental problem to become painful- it may prompt patients to seek help for their dental problems before they become severe and painful.  Regular dental check-ups are for more than just cleaning teeth.  Your dental exam is intended to track your dental health and take note of changes such as tooth decay, gum disease and the stability of previous dental restorations.  When you avoid check-ups and wait for dental problems to become symptomatic, dental emergencies happen.  Most dental problems do not cause pain until they have become severe and advanced.  Detecting and repairing minor, painless dental problems before they become symptomatic will not only prevent pain, but will cost far less to repair.  Keeping your teeth in good repair will prevent most weekend dental emergencies.

Dental Cleanings and Check-Ups Can Prevent Dental Emergencies

One hour, twice a year is the investment you make in your dental health.  In addition to good personal dental hygiene, keeping your dental check-up and cleaning appointments every 6 months will help prevent dental disease as well as detect problems like cavities before they become painful and symptomatic.  Your teeth are not supposed to hurt, keep them healthy with professional dental care.
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