Discussion: The Role of a Dental Hygienist on Drug Distribution

The Role of a Dental Hygienist on Drug Distribution
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Dental hygienists are the primary dental health providers who give an initial assessment to the patient. Therefore, it is their responsibility to have an excellent medical and drug-related history taking because some of the patients’ drugs might have adverse effects on the dental modality or might interact with some dental medications (Southerland et al., 2016). Specifically, dental hygienists have a significant role in the management and monitoring of patients taking autonomic drugs and non-opioid and opioid analgesics.
Autonomic drugs are those that stimulate or decrease the action of the autonomic nervous system. Examples of these include non-selective beta-antagonists, such as propranolol and timolol, used in the management of hypertension. These can have drug-to-drug interactions with some anesthetics used in minor or major dental surgeries. Hence, the dental hygienist must obtain this information to better prepare for the clinical or surgical treatment of the patient (Southerland et al., 2016).
Non-opioid and opioid drugs are used to reduce acute or chronic pain from dental problems. Examples of non-opioid drugs include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, while opioid drugs include codeine and hydr...