Dentists are a source of anxiety and phobia for nearly 20% of people. While people know that regular dental visits and good dental hygiene are necessary, the fear of dental visits stops people from attaining pearly white smiles and pain-free chewing. Besides straightening and whitening teeth, dentist visits have become controversial places where opioid addictions can begin.

In a 2018 Journal of the American Medical Association, dentists prescribed opioids to 80% of people between ages 13 and 30 who had their wisdom teeth removed, even though ibuprofen can be as, if not more, useful for treating pain.

Dentists are not to blame for the opioid epidemic. But as more people become addicted to, and overdose from, opioids, access to opioids is being challenged. This article will explain what dentists are doing to help in the fight against opioid addiction and what the signs and treatment options are for Percocet addiction.

Dentists and Percocet

Young people are especially at risk of developing opioid dependence and addiction from a prescription. The parts of the brain that release and regulate dopamine is more active through the teen years than in older persons. Opioids attach to dopamine receptors, blocking these receptors from shutting off opioid production. As a result, younger people’s brains are more susceptible to feeling pleasure from opioids and, thus, are more at risk of abusing or misusing prescription Percocet.

Dentists have traditionally prescribed Percocet and Vicodin to treat short-term pain following tooth extractions, root canals, cavity repair, and dental implants. The American Dental Association announced a new opioid policy in 2018, urging dentists to eliminate opioids from their prescriptions completely.

The opioid epidemic in the late 2010s has medical groups, experts, and families searching for harm reduction solutions. Even though they represent only 7% of opioid prescriptions in the United States, dentists are changing their prescription habits to put fewer people at risk of opiate addiction.

Percocet Addiction

Addiction to Percocet and other opioids affect people at the same rates across all demographics, no matter the age, gender, race, religion, socioeconomic status, or geography. Opioid addiction not only harms the user, but it damages the user’s family and society at large.

Percocet is the brand name of the opioid pain medication that combines acetaminophen (the pain reliever and fever reducer in Tylenol) and oxycodone (an opioid). Oxycodone is a natural opiate derived from poppy sap and flowers and is chemically similar to morphine and heroin.

Signs of Percocet Dependency

Opioids such as Percocet can produce many physical and psychological side effects. Overdoses relating to Percocet and other opiates have claimed the lives of over 400,000 people since 1999. Most people experience many symptoms and side effects of opioid addiction before overdose occurs. It is vital to get a loved one treatment for Percocet addiction before an overdose occurs. Be aware of the following symptoms.

One of the most common side effects is constipation because Percocet causes the intestinal tract to function in a compromised state. Other side effects of Percocet addiction include:

Confusion
Mood swings
Depression
Sleeping problems: too much or too little
Low blood pressure
Shallow and slow breathing
Cold sweats
Decreased coordination

If you or someone you know is experiencing these symptoms following a prescription to Percocet, it is possible that physical dependency has developed. Dependency is the physiological aspect of addiction. Drug dependency describes the process in which someone has to use more of the drug to feel the same effects as when they first began using or taking the medication.

Once someone has developed a dependence on opiates, it can be extremely difficult to quit. Boardwalk Recovery can answer any questions you have about Percocet addiction, and we are happy to help you decide if a treatment program is right for you.

Behavioral Signs of Percocet Addiction

Percocet addiction is a complex substance use disorder (SUD) that affects a person’s emotional, mental, and physical health. Because of this, someone who is battling Percocet addiction will exhibit behaviors and mannerisms that are tell-tale signs of a SUD.

Because opioid medications require a prescription, drugs like Vicodin, Percocet, OxyContin, and Codeine can be difficult to acquire through legal means. As someone cannot obtain enough prescription drugs to feed the addiction, many addicts turn to heroin. According to multiple research studies, almost 80% of people with an addiction to heroin began using prescription opioids first.

Persons addicted to Percocet begin obtaining opioids through the black market, buying heroin or other opiates illegally. They may also start stealing medications from friends’ and family medicine cabinets, pretend to lose prescriptions to get a new one written, or doctor shop for multiple opioid prescriptions.

If you are worried that a loved one is abusing Percocet, you can also pay attention to their mannerisms: how they are. Someone high on Percocet will appear high marked by slow movements, excessively sleepy or tired, unusually happy or excited, and dishonest. If you have questions on how to approach the subject of treatment with someone struggling with Percocet addiction, our trained experts and clinicians are available to help you.