Course Summary

More of your patients have a history of drug use than their medical history shows, and it changes how you sedate them and how you manage their pain. This 2-hour evening course gives Washington dentists and their teams a practical plan for patients with a history of drug abuse, from the pre-op conversation to the post-op prescription.

The first hour covers how commonly misused substances affect anesthesia and sedation in the dental chair: what to ask, which red flags matter, and when to modify the plan, delay treatment, or refer. The second hour focuses on controlling post-operative pain while avoiding or minimizing opioids, using different drug classes and evidence-based multimodal approaches.

We will also cover what is new in acute pain management: suzetrigine (JOURNAVX), the first new class of non-opioid pain medicine approved in over 20 years, including how it works, which patients it fits, and the drug interactions to watch before adding it to your post-op pain plan.

Who Should Attend?

• Dentists who perform extractions, implants, or other procedures where post-operative pain control matters
• Dentists who provide nitrous oxide, minimal, moderate, IV, or deep sedation
• Dentists who treat patients with a history of substance use or patients in recovery

Course Highlights

• 2 CE hours in a single evening
• Taught by two nurse anesthesiologists (CRNAs) who have provided anesthesia in more than 250 Washington dental offices
• Dinner included before the lecture
• Small group: limited to 30 seats
• Up to date: current ADA guidance on acute dental pain and the newest non-opioid option, suzetrigine (JOURNAVX)
• Practical takeaways: screening questions and a post-op pain plan you can use the next day

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Describe how commonly misused substances, including opioids, stimulants, cannabis, alcohol, and benzodiazepines, affect sedation, local anesthesia, and airway risk in the dental office.
2. Identify screening questions and medical-history red flags that suggest active substance use, and recognize when to modify the anesthesia plan, delay treatment, or refer.
3. Plan safe anesthesia and pain control for patients in recovery who take buprenorphine, methadone, or naltrexone.
4. Build an evidence-based, multimodal post-operative pain plan that avoids or minimizes opioids.
5. Compare non-opioid drug classes for acute dental pain, including NSAIDs, acetaminophen, long-acting local anesthetics, and suzetrigine (JOURNAVX), along with their key interactions and contraindications.

Your Evening at a Glance

Event Details