Tag: Parenting

Talk frankly with your child’s doctor, dentist and pharmacist

No parent wants to see their child in pain. To ensure yours receives the proper aftercare, get the facts from your health care provider. Ask about the standard recovery time for your son’s or daughter’s procedure, how much medication is necessary, and when your teen should stop taking the pills.

Know the options for pain relief

Opioid painkillers are rarely necessary after wisdom tooth removal, according to Dave Thomas, PhD, a health scientist administrator at the National Institute on Drug Abuse. ‘‘NSAIDs work as well or better in those situations,” he says. The American Dental Association also recommends simple NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen, as the first line of pain therapy after dental procedures. (Exparel is a pain-management medication that’s an alternative to opiates. Through Costco’s Aetna Dental Plan, you can receive this medication at no cost to you. Talk to your dentist to see if it’s right for your teen’s procedure.)

Alternative pain-management techniques can boost the effectiveness of over-the-counter drugs, especially in young people. Options include ice packs, distraction (video games, TV), massage, mindfulness and even old-fashioned TLC.

Talk with your kids

• Calmly explain the dangers. Many teens assume that drugs that are prescribed by a doctor and come from a pharmacy must be safe. But opioids pose special risks. The difference between the prescribed dose and an overdose can be very small. (Even with opioids prescribed by a trusted doctor, there’s always a risk of dependency.) Opioids also seriously impair your ability to drive. And it’s hard for doctors and patients to know when regular use switches to addiction ― until you try to quit. “That is when they realize they have a problem,” says Lynne Kain, an Aetna case manager who counsels young drug users. “They had never tried to stop before and thought it was just ‘recreational’ use up to that point.”
• Urge them not to share medication. Dosage is highly individual: What’s safe for one person can be dangerous for another. And opioids can be deadly when mixed with other common medications, such as anti-anxiety and insomnia drugs.
• Use your own words, not clichés. “I feel that catch phrases like ‘Just say no’ are outdated with the teen population of today,” says Kain. “Concrete facts and examples resonate more and show you are respecting their intelligence.”

Maintain control of your child’s painkillers

Even responsible teens or those managing their medication for other conditions should not be allowed to control their painkillers. “Parents should closely supervise opioid use, keeping the bottle in their possession at all times and giving the medication only as needed,” says Harold Paz, MD, chief medical officer at Aetna^®. Store pills in a safe place where they aren’t readily accessible, like a lock box or a lockable drawer.