Medical professionals can play a central role in the early detection and intervention of polysubstance abuse in their patients. Physicians often overlook indications of polysubstance use and miss the correlation between opioids and multi-substance abuse. In today’s world, with multi-substance addiction coinciding with the opioid crisis in America, there is a necessity for extended training in substance use and abuse recognition for dental professionals.

The convergence of the polysubstance and opioid epidemics is a significant public health concern. The United States is knee-deep in what some experts call the opioid epidemic’s “fourth wave,” which involves using multiple substances at the same time, combining fentanyl mainly with either methamphetamine or cocaine. An overwhelming majority of fentanyl-positive urine samples — nearly 93% — contained additional substances. The most concerning is the dramatic increase in the combination of meth and fentanyl use. This convergence complicates treatment efforts and increases the risk of overdose and death.