Dental patients at overdose risk

This warning from the BDA comes as new research points to sizeable numbers of patients unable to access care risking paracetamol overdose in accident and emergency departments.

The study at Queen’s Medical Centre Nottingham’s A&E unit identified self-medication for dental pain with paracetamol as a significant cause of accidental overdose and potential liver failure.

Over a two-year period, researchers found 436 cases presented to the emergency department with accidental paracetamol overdose, 164 of which were a direct result of dental pain. It revealed that lack of access to emergency dental care was a contributory factor to paracetamol overdose.

Amid rising access problems dentist leaders called on authorities to commission more in-hours urgent care slots, to improve access for patients and to reduce the costly A&E and GP attendances for dental complaints.