Longitudinal Patterns of Dental Health Care Utilization 18 Months Before and 36 Months After Initiation of Index Medications for Opioid Use Disorder

Key Points

• This research examines changes in dental health care utilization before and after opioid use disorder treatment initiation.
• Longitudinal analysis of dental health care utilization patterns
• Assessment of preventive and therapeutic dental services
• Comparison of utilization 18 months before and 36 months after initiation of index medications
• Both preventive and therapeutic dental utilization increased following initiation of medications for opioid use disorder
• Future studies should consider confounding health-seeking behaviors in assessment results