Dentists: Cannabis users may need more anesthesia

Change is here, and the dental industry is not immune to it. From declines in medical coverage impacting insurance to cannabis consumption affecting patients’ anesthesia experience, dentists continue to adapt. Evolve with the changes, instead of getting left in the past. New strategies, new devices, new policies and new tips for growth below.

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More than half of dentists reported that their top concern for 2026 was related to insurance, including low insurance reimbursement rates and delayed or denied payments, according to an ADA Health Policy Institute poll.

Dr. Paula Crum, D.D.S., chair of the ADA Council on Dental Benefit Programs’ Coding and Transactions Subcommittee, highlights the ongoing issue of downcoding: when a health insurance company unilaterally changes a billing code to a lower-paying code. To address this, the ADA recommends that the Explanation of Benefits (EOB) should still reflect the CDT code originally submitted and explain how the claim was benefited, stating that the language is often missing from the EOB, leading to patient confusion.

Why this matters: After cuts to federal health-coverage programs and an economy that is impacting everyone from patients to doctors’ offices, insurance reimbursement is at the top of everyone’s mind. Stand up for your patients and fight if you believe a claim was improperly adjudicated. (ADA)

Regular cannabis users may require higher anesthetic doses for surgery. A study by the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) found that patients who had used cannabis multiple times a day for at least two to three years required 55% more propofol than non-users. Frequency and duration were found to make a big impact on the anesthetics' effectiveness.

Why this matters: As more states legalize the recreational and medicinal use of marijuana, it’s important to know what your patient’s history with the plant is before going under anesthesia. Have honest, nonjudgmental conversations with your patients about their history prior to surgery, so you don’t face surprises. (Dental Tribune)

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Dental Bite is curated and written by Zoe Takaki and edited by Bianca Prieto